COIMBATORE: Members of train passenger welfare associations accused railways of favouring Kerala for allotting new services and ignoring Tamil Nadu, especially Coimbatore, despite their requests for over two years. They cite a recent railway announcement of conducting a feasibility study to introduce a train between Palakkad and Mayiladuthurai.
The railways operate a passenger service between Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur. Two years ago, a proposal was made to operate the train up to Palani. Passenger associations in Coimbatore suggested that the train could be run up to Coimbatore as an unreserved train with 12 to 14 coaches.
“Last year, Tiruchy railway division officials confirmed to us orally that the train would be extended up to Coimbatore. However, the railway board has decided to conduct a feasibility study to extend the train up to Palakkad,” said Shiva Mohan, secretary of the Welfare Association of Rail Passengers (WARP which consists of Coimbatore-Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul).
Sharing his two and a half years of efforts, he said, “Not only representatives of passenger associations from Coimbatore, Podanur, Kinathukkadavu, Pollachi, Palani, Dindigul, and Thanjavur, but also MLAs from Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, MPs of Coimbatore Pollachi, Dindigul, and Thanjavur have sent various letters to the railway authorities pressing the demand. Though there is a train that operates between Coimbatore and Mayilduthurai, it is a reserved train. We need an unreserved train to operate between the two districts.”
Director of Kongu Railway Development Council Ramakrishnan K Sundaram alleged that nearly 60 percent of officials in various railway departments, especially in Salem railway division, are natives of Kerala. “We are not opposing them but we suspect that officials do not even forward proposals to the Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai. The officials in the division are idle, despite several petitions, the introduction and extension of several trains continue to remain on paper. However, Palakkad division continues to get several trains.”
“For example, the Tiruchendur train was extended up to Palakkad even though there was high demand to divert it to Mettupalayam. After operation, it was found that only 30 passengers were travelling from Palakkad, and a majority of the passenger occupancy was from Tamil Nadu starting from Pollachi.
The same issue is cropping up now as we have been demanding the Mayildathurai train should be diverted up to Coimbatore, However, we have come to know that the railway officials have been taking decisions to operate the train up to Palakkad,” said Ramakrishnan.
Sources in the Salem and Palakkad railway division said they will look into the issue.