Tamil New Year weekend marred after several trains are cancelled
TNN | Apr 14, 2019, 06.10 AM IST
CHENNAI: It’s going to be a bitter Tamil New Year for passengers who had planned their holidays this weekend, nearly four months in advance, to places like Jolarpet, Coimbatore, Kerala or Bengaluru because of work undertaken by the Southern Railway.
Around 16 mail and express trains and an equal number of passenger trains have been cancelled on April 13 and 14 alone.
The Southern Railway commenced commissioning of the Arakkonam-Takkolam detour line. This line will link Chengalpet to Arakkonam. However, to commission and link it to the Arakkonam-Jolarpet line, rail traffic has to be disrupted for four to five days. Since Arakkonam is an important junction with trains bound for Salem, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and Kerala from Chennai passing through it, those who travel weekly between Bangaluru and Chennai will also be affected. This disruption has also resulted in delays on the section.
Many who were due to travel on the Shatabdi Express to Bengaluru on Saturday and Sunday were unsure if the train was running. Two Shatabdi Express trains are operated from Chennai. Similarly, two in the return direction are also operated. Both trains from Bengaluru on April 14 have been cancelled . “I didn’t know if my train on Saturday evening was going to run. I had no option as I had an important family function to attend. Thankfully, the Shatabdi was operating,” said S Archana, who lives in Bengaluru and works in Chennai.
Apart from holidayers, the cancellations put several passengers in a spot. D Gautham, a senior citizen, who underwent a surgery in Nellore was caught in a quandary. He had booked a Shatabdi from Bengaluru to Chennai. Though the train to Nellore from Chennai was running, but the one to Bengaluru was cancelled. Despite complaining to the railways, he did not get a positive response.
Other passengers were informed that their trains would operate only till Katpadi. “I did not know how to reach Chennai. As the EMU and MEMU services were also cancelled, I had to take the costly bus service,” said K Mahesh, 47.
A senior railway official said regular announcements were made at all stations to inform passengers. SMSes were also sent out to reserved ticket holders a month ago. “We had also issued press releases,” the official said.
TNN | Apr 14, 2019, 06.10 AM IST
CHENNAI: It’s going to be a bitter Tamil New Year for passengers who had planned their holidays this weekend, nearly four months in advance, to places like Jolarpet, Coimbatore, Kerala or Bengaluru because of work undertaken by the Southern Railway.
Around 16 mail and express trains and an equal number of passenger trains have been cancelled on April 13 and 14 alone.
The Southern Railway commenced commissioning of the Arakkonam-Takkolam detour line. This line will link Chengalpet to Arakkonam. However, to commission and link it to the Arakkonam-Jolarpet line, rail traffic has to be disrupted for four to five days. Since Arakkonam is an important junction with trains bound for Salem, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and Kerala from Chennai passing through it, those who travel weekly between Bangaluru and Chennai will also be affected. This disruption has also resulted in delays on the section.
Many who were due to travel on the Shatabdi Express to Bengaluru on Saturday and Sunday were unsure if the train was running. Two Shatabdi Express trains are operated from Chennai. Similarly, two in the return direction are also operated. Both trains from Bengaluru on April 14 have been cancelled . “I didn’t know if my train on Saturday evening was going to run. I had no option as I had an important family function to attend. Thankfully, the Shatabdi was operating,” said S Archana, who lives in Bengaluru and works in Chennai.
Apart from holidayers, the cancellations put several passengers in a spot. D Gautham, a senior citizen, who underwent a surgery in Nellore was caught in a quandary. He had booked a Shatabdi from Bengaluru to Chennai. Though the train to Nellore from Chennai was running, but the one to Bengaluru was cancelled. Despite complaining to the railways, he did not get a positive response.
Other passengers were informed that their trains would operate only till Katpadi. “I did not know how to reach Chennai. As the EMU and MEMU services were also cancelled, I had to take the costly bus service,” said K Mahesh, 47.
A senior railway official said regular announcements were made at all stations to inform passengers. SMSes were also sent out to reserved ticket holders a month ago. “We had also issued press releases,” the official said.
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