Over 150 passengers of Tirunelveli–Tiruchendur passenger train, who missed the Tirunelveli–Shencottah passenger train due to reported “signal problem”, staged a dharna for a while at Tirunelveli Junction on Tuesday.
The Shencottah passenger train would usually leave Tirunelveli Junction at 9.15 a.m. every day after the passenger train from Tiruchendur would arrive at the station at 9 a.m. so that those who have to reach their destinations in the Tirunelveli–Shencottah section could board this train.
When Tiruchendur–Tirunelveli passenger train had to wait for the signal near Kurichi for long since 8.50 a.m. on Tuesday, it could not reach Tirunelveli Junction on time.
When this passenger train entered Tirunelveli Junction at 9.30 a.m., Tirunelveli–Shencottah passenger train was leaving the station.
Consequently, over 150 passengers of Tirunelveli–Tiruchendur passenger train who had already purchased ticket for their onward journey in Tirunelveli–Shencottah passenger train were stranded at Tirunelveli Junction.
“If Tirunelveli–Shencottah passenger train had been detained for just three more minutes, all of us could have boarded it. Now we’ve to wait till 12.30 p.m. to catch the next train to Shencottah,” said the agitated passengers, who staged a dharna and raised slogans against the officials.
Station Manager Chelladurai told the passengers that “signal problem” had delayed the arrival of Tiruchendur–Tirunelveli passenger train. “Those who wanted to wait for the next train might wait in the station. Or else, we are prepared to refund the ticket fare,” Mr. Chelladurai told the agitating passengers.
While most of the affected passengers took buses to Shencottah from the nearby Tirunelveli Junction bus stand, a few others got their tickets refunded.