Increasing the number of unreserved coaches in trains, operating trains between Tiruvarur and Thanjavur during day time, and increasing the space in the coaches meant for differently-abled were among the slew of demands raised at the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) meeting held here on Thursday.
The two-hour meeting attended by senior railway officers and DRUCC members was chaired by the Divisional Railway Manager, A.K.Agarwal, at the divisional office. This is the second meeting of the DRUCC for the period 2014-16.
A.Giri, DRUCC member, who enquired on the amenities planned for the Mahamaham festival in 2016 in Kumbakonam, pleaded for converting the Darasuram and Tirunageswaram stations, adjacent to Kumbakonam, into block stations to enable better platform management at Kumbakonam during the festival.
Making a request to increase the number of unreserved coaches in all trains, S.Selvaraj, DRUCC member, pleaded with the authorities to announce the position of coaches meant for the differently abled well before the arrival of trains to help them.
T.Giridharan wanted the railway administration to operate trains from Tiruvarur to Thanjavur during day time.
Another member P.Maheswari Vaiyapuri sought the construction of a subway between Bheema Nagar and Palakkarai in Tiruchi. S.D.Sundaresan, Transport Commissioner, Government of Puducherry, requested the railways to introduce MEMU train services between Puducherry and Villupuram as the line had already been electrified with 50 per cent contribution from the Government of Puducherry.
Demands including toilet facility for passengers at Karaikal, provision of power points to charge cell phones and laptops in unreserved and ladies coaches, besides coaches meant for the differently abled, were also raised at the meeting.
Replying to their demands, the railway officials said arrangements were being made to announce the position of coaches meant for the differently abled.
With respect to the introduction of MEMU services between Puducherry and Villupuram, the officials said that a proposal had already been submitted to the headquarters and it was pending approval.
The officers also informed that passenger amenity works worth Rs.6 crore have been sanctioned for the Mahamaham festival.
With regard to the plea for day-time train service between Tiruvarur and Thanjavur, the officers made it clear that running of additional trains was not operationally feasible due to the severe path constraints.
The Divisional Railway Manager and DRUCC chairman highlighted the performance of the Tiruchi Division during 2014-15.
