The much-awaited Katpadi-Salem passenger train that began its service three days behind its scheduled inaugural run, thanks to a political controversy, was at the Salem Railway Junction at 4.45 p.m. to a warm welcome by passengers and rail staff here on Wednesday.
The train was flagged off at Katpadi in the morning by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Arakkonam MP S. Jagatrakshakan.
The MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) service scheduled to be flagged off on March 18 from Katpadi Junction was cancelled at the last minute due to “administrative reasons.”
Railway sources, however, claimed that the train was cancelled following objections raised by the Union Minister, who claimed that he was not invited. As per the first invitation, State Health Minister and Vellore MLA V.S. Vijay was to inaugurate the service.
But since Mr. Jagatrakshakan under whose constituency Katpadi Junction falls, resented it, the Railway Board cancelled the inauguration. A team of senior officials from Southern Railways met the Minister and carried out the damage control exercise seeking his appointment for the rescheduled inauguration of the train service on March 21.
The Minister obliged them and accordingly flagged off the train at Katpadi at 10.50 a.m. The train (66019/66020) will connect all smaller stations that are located in the busy upcountry sector hitherto not served by long distance express trains. The train would run on all days a week barring Saturday.
