Rail passengers in the delta districts see a ray of hope in the judgement delivered earlier this year by the High Court on a public interest litigation filed by Kuthalam P. Kalyanam, former MLA, for restoration of railway link between Mayiladuthurai and Tranquebar that existed during the British period.
In “entire agreement” with the proposition of the petitioner (for restoration of the 30-km railway link), the High Court had disposed off the writ petition with a liberty to the respondents - the Central Government, Railway Board, the General Manager of Southern Railway, and the Divisional Railway Manager of Tiruchi Division - to consider the grievance in the background in which it had been raised and take an appropriate decision in the matter.
Mr. Kalyanam had, in his petition, informed the court that the link was established in 1926 between Mayiladuthurai and Tranquebar towns via Dharmapuram, Mannampanthal, Sembanarkoil, Akkur, Thirukadaiyur, Thillaiyadi and Poraiyar Railway Stations, and that the rail transport was stopped in 1985 on the ground that the meter gauge railway track has to be converted into broad gauge. The hope of the people that the rail transport between Mayiladuthurai and Tranquebar will be restored after gauge conversion has been belied, he said.
The restoration of the 30-km rail link was vital for extending the same to nearby Karaikal railway station which was only 12 km away from Tranquebar. Continuous barren land was available for acquisition. As for the Mayiladuthurai-Tranquebar route, the land is already available for laying the BG line, Mr. Kalyanam said.
There would be several advantages if Mayiladuthurai is linked to Karaikal. As there is already a plan to lay a direct line between Chennai and Puducherry, a rail line could be operated parallel to the stretch of East Coast Road from Chennai to Nagapattinam in future, he explained.
More importantly, a circular rail route symbolising religious harmony could be created for the convenience of pilgrims of all the three major faiths: Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, visiting Thirukkadaiyur, Thirunallar, Nagore and Velankanni, Mr. Kalyanam, who was the DMK MLA representing Kuthalam constituency from 1996 to 2001, explained.
