Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore has appealed to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to operate additional trains in Tamil Nadu to provide links on the Kollam-Shencottahi-Sivakasi-Virudhunagar section to help traders and common passengers.
In a memorandum, the Congress MP has said that ever since the COVID-19 lockdown was announced in the last week of March no passenger or goods train service was operated on the Virudhunagar-Kollam and Tirunelveli-Tenkasi section. Traders and member of the public living in the towns of Virudhunagar, Tiruthangal, Sivakasi, Srivilliputtur, Rajapalyam, Sankarankoil, Kadayanallur, Tenkasi and Shencottah had suffered due to lack of train services. He said that the Sivakasi Chamber of Commerce had made a representation to him in this regard.
Stating that the Railway Board had decided to operate passenger trains in Tamil Nadu, he urged the Railway Minister to give instructions for expeditiously operating train services to connect these towns to help retrieve the economic situation which had been badly affected due to the lockdown. The train services could help save the livelihoods of the common people, he said.
Mr. Tagore wanted the Railways to operate Silambu Express, Pothigai Express, Ernakulam-Velankanni link express, Tirunelveli-Tambaram express via Tenkasi, Virudhunagar and passenger trains between Madurai and Shencottah.
Based on the State government’s request, Indian Railways will operate four trains in the State including Nagercoil-Tiruchi intercity and Madurai-Villupuram intercity express from Monday.
