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A section of the Karaikal District Railway Travellers Welfare Association staged a demonstration in front of the Karaikal railway station on Wednesday urging the railway administration to restore the Karaikal - Bengaluru - Karaikal trains which were suspended over two years ago due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The hour-long demonstration was headed by association president A.M. Yasin in which some office-bearers and members of the Nagore - Nagapattinam Rail Users Association, Karaikal South MLA A.M.H. Nazim and others participated.
The demonstrators wanted the restoration of the Karaikal - Bengaluru - Karaikal train in view of the improvement in the COVID-19 situation and the re-introduction of several trains by Southern Railway on various sections.
The Karaikal - Bengaluru - Karaikal inter-State daily trains benefitted rail users from the Karaikal region and those coming from Karnataka. Many devotees from Karnataka used to take this train to come to Tirunallar temple during the pre-COVID period, said AST Ansari Babu, the association secretary.
The association also urged the railway administration to restore the Karaikal - Tiruchi and Karaikal - Thanjavur trains which were also suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic over two years ago.