The Chennai division of Southern Railway is awaiting the green signal from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to restart fast local services between Chengalpattu/Thirumalpur and Chennai Beach.
The fast local services that only have a few stops were cancelled after the accident at St. Thomas Mount railway station on July 24 last year, in which five commuters travelling on the footboard died. After the accident, the Southern Railway converted fast locals into regular services. This affected commuters residing on the outskirts, as they were unable to reach offices in the city on time.
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The compliance report on the remedial action taken in the wake of the St. Thomas Mount accident has been submitted to the CRS. After getting the go-ahead from the CRS, K.A. Manoharan, the fast local services would be operated again by May-end, said a senior railway official. The railways have already demolished concrete walls which were posing danger to the commuters at St. Thomas Mount, Palavanthangal and Meenambakkam railway stations.
A total of 11 fast local services were operated in both directions during peak hours. These services would be restored, the official said.
People living beyond Tambaram, in areas such as Guduvanchery, Maraimalai Nagar, Singaperumal Koil and Chengalpattu, are dependant on train services. The fast local services were a boon for commuters residing on the outskirts because of its few stops. D. Sankara Lingam, a resident of Guduvanchery, said he struggled to reach his office on time after the cancellation of the fast locals.
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“Using the fast locals, I was able to reach Guindy from Vandalur in 30 minutes, but now it takes more than an hour. Moreover, train services from Chengalpattu are few, and the coaches are packed and commuters find it difficult to even breathe,” he said.