The full-fledged operation of suburban trains and near-normal restoration of express and passenger train services in the city bySouthern Railway has raised several expectations among passengers.
As post-pandemic relaxations and the rising fuel prices have made train travel the cheapest mode of public transport, the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) meetings,usually convened to get feedback from commuters, traders and commercial institutions, have gained focus in the Chennai division. The 155thDRUCCmeeting held in the city recently, and chaired by the Chennai Divisional Railway Manager Ganesh, brought to the fore the demands for passenger amenities such as escalators, foot over-bridges (FOB) and more express train stoppages. A total of 12 representatives of various commuters associations and nominees participated in the meeting.
The commuters at the Pattabhiram railway station have been requesting for a subway to connect the north and south sides (similar to the one at Nemilichery station), provision of a new foot over crossing to link the Pattabhiram siding station, halts of some express and mail trains and the installation of fans at Kadambathur railway station. The requests were put forward by A. Abdul Hameed, a member of the DRUCC.
Mr. Hameed, thanking the railway authorities for immediately taking steps to provide fans at the Kadambathur railway station, said the officials had informed that the subway could be considered based on cost-sharing terms, and the train halts would also be implemented after an inspection of the Pattabhiram station was done.
Similarly, K. Jayapaulraj, representing the Consumer Federation of Tiruvallur district, put forth demands for the stoppage of nine additional express trains, extension of the Katpadi-Arakkonam passenger train’s route to Tiruvallur, setting up of shelters on all six platforms at Tiruvallur station, construction of a subway, for the passenger reservation counter to have two shifts again instead of one and installation of elevators on platforms 1 and 6.
Railway activist Bhaskar said the Tiruvallur railway station had a historic connect to the first train service operated from Royapuram railway station. Despite being the district headquarters, the request to halt express trains had been long neglected. He said the railway station, though not announced as a terminal like Tambaram, had become the suburban rail terminal for the western corridor and had good rail infrastructure for allowing the stoppage of express trains. Taking into consideration these factors, the railway authorities need to act, he demanded.
A senior official of the Chennai division of Southern Railway said the DRUCC was a consultative body whose members put forward their feedback and demands for better passenger amenities and more train services. Their demands would be looked into, and based on the genuineness of the demand and feasibility, the division would take up the work and those that would not come under their preview were forwarded to the zonal headquarters. He said after the meeting, steps were usually taken to address those demands that could be solved immediately.
Regarding the demand forstoppages for additional express trains at Tiruvallurstation, the railway official said at present, express trains were given stoppages but for more trains to make halts at the station woulddelay the operation of other express trains. Besides, giving stoppages in suburban sections was discouraged as frequency of connecting trains were high.
While the DRUCC has 12 members, commuters rue that it is loaded with nominees from the western section and lacks representatives to highlight the issues of the Tambaram/Chengalpattu, Mass Rapid Transit System and Gummidipoondi sections.
