Tiruvarur to Karaikudi: such a long journey for five passengers
Kathelene Antony
September 24, 2019 04:49 IST
The DEMU train journey between Tiruvarur and Karaikudi junction takes eight hours. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath
Three-coach train encounters 72 level crossings in 148-km stretch
The journey from Tiruvarur to Karaikudi, a 148-km journey aboard the only train — Tiruvarur-Karaikudi DEMU Passenger — is rather a tedious one.
Since none of the 72 level crossings on the stretch have gatekeepers to operate them, the train runs in fits and starts. It stops every now and then for the ‘mobile gatekeepers’ on board to sprint down to close and open the gates to allow the train to pass through.
On the three-coach train are just five passengers, the few who knew the recently revised timings on that day.
“The train timings change often. I keep track of it by reading the schedule on the newspaper regularly,” says K. Rajalakshmi, a passenger travelling to Peravurani from Tiruvarur.
All of the five passengers sit in the first compartment: two of them read a Tamil magazine, while the other three take a nap. “Come sit, it will take a long time to reach, I hope you have food and water in your bag,” says Ms. Rajalakshmi.
The train comes to a screeching halt minutes after it rolls away from the station.
A man gets off from the engine, runs to the gate and turns a lever to close the gates on the level crossing. These “mobile gatemen” appointed by Southern Railway are stationed at the front and back compartments of the three-coach DEMU train to open and close gates 72 times. The ladder on the train, which is a six feet drop, is a steep and unstable one. “It was difficult in my initial days, especially to do it in the blazing sun but now I have gotten used to it,” says M. Madhavan, one of the four mobile gatemen.
The train leaves Tiruvarur at 6 a.m. and reaches Karaikudi at 12.30 p.m. In the return direction, it departs from Karaikudi at 2.30 p.m. and arrives at Tiruvarur at 9.15 p.m.
The passengers, an average of 30 a day, prefer taking the train for its convenience.
Ms. Rajalakshmi took the train as she had heavy luggage to carry. “I cannot get in and out of a bus with four bags, especially because they are usually very crowded and I will have no place to keep them. Besides, on the train, I can sit and stretch my legs comfortably,” she says.
The other four passengers, all men got on the train at Pattukottai to go to Aranthangi for work. “A bus ticket costs ₹70. We cannot afford to pay ₹140 a day, the train is more affordable as it costs only ₹30 a day,” Ahmed Farooq, one of the men, says.
The train service was suspended in 2012 for gauge conversion and the project took eight years to be completed. Despite the hassle, rail users have been pressuring Southern Railway to keep the train running because of its affordability. After several attempts to discontinue it, reduce the number of days of service, the train is now a daily service. Southern Railway recently announced that the service has been extended until February 2020.
“In this age of mass rapid transportation, this kind of arrangement and tedious journey due to lack of manpower is a put off for the public,” says N. Jayaraman, president, Pattukkottai Taluk Railway Passengers' Welfare Association.
“The number of passengers on this train continues to drop because the train has no toilet or pantry facilities. People would not mind the long journey at least if these facilities are made available especially because of the huge difference between the train and bus fares,” says Mr. Jayaraman.
If a passenger needs to travel to Thanjavur, a cab would cost at least ₹1,200 but the train ticket to Tiruvarur from where a connecting train can be taken only costs ₹20.
Officials of Southern Railway sayt they are aware of the issue. “The lack of manpower is not just on this stretch. The railway recruitment is underway and so far we have got nearly 300 employees for our division. But they cannot all be stationed at gates in this stretch. We are looking to put men on each level crossing, but will only be able to do so when the number of trains on this line, including express and passenger trains, increase,” says an official of Tiruchi Division.
Kathelene Antony
September 24, 2019 04:49 IST
The DEMU train journey between Tiruvarur and Karaikudi junction takes eight hours. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath
Three-coach train encounters 72 level crossings in 148-km stretch
The journey from Tiruvarur to Karaikudi, a 148-km journey aboard the only train — Tiruvarur-Karaikudi DEMU Passenger — is rather a tedious one.
Since none of the 72 level crossings on the stretch have gatekeepers to operate them, the train runs in fits and starts. It stops every now and then for the ‘mobile gatekeepers’ on board to sprint down to close and open the gates to allow the train to pass through.
On the three-coach train are just five passengers, the few who knew the recently revised timings on that day.
“The train timings change often. I keep track of it by reading the schedule on the newspaper regularly,” says K. Rajalakshmi, a passenger travelling to Peravurani from Tiruvarur.
All of the five passengers sit in the first compartment: two of them read a Tamil magazine, while the other three take a nap. “Come sit, it will take a long time to reach, I hope you have food and water in your bag,” says Ms. Rajalakshmi.
The train comes to a screeching halt minutes after it rolls away from the station.
A man gets off from the engine, runs to the gate and turns a lever to close the gates on the level crossing. These “mobile gatemen” appointed by Southern Railway are stationed at the front and back compartments of the three-coach DEMU train to open and close gates 72 times. The ladder on the train, which is a six feet drop, is a steep and unstable one. “It was difficult in my initial days, especially to do it in the blazing sun but now I have gotten used to it,” says M. Madhavan, one of the four mobile gatemen.
The train leaves Tiruvarur at 6 a.m. and reaches Karaikudi at 12.30 p.m. In the return direction, it departs from Karaikudi at 2.30 p.m. and arrives at Tiruvarur at 9.15 p.m.
The passengers, an average of 30 a day, prefer taking the train for its convenience.
Ms. Rajalakshmi took the train as she had heavy luggage to carry. “I cannot get in and out of a bus with four bags, especially because they are usually very crowded and I will have no place to keep them. Besides, on the train, I can sit and stretch my legs comfortably,” she says.
The other four passengers, all men got on the train at Pattukottai to go to Aranthangi for work. “A bus ticket costs ₹70. We cannot afford to pay ₹140 a day, the train is more affordable as it costs only ₹30 a day,” Ahmed Farooq, one of the men, says.
The train service was suspended in 2012 for gauge conversion and the project took eight years to be completed. Despite the hassle, rail users have been pressuring Southern Railway to keep the train running because of its affordability. After several attempts to discontinue it, reduce the number of days of service, the train is now a daily service. Southern Railway recently announced that the service has been extended until February 2020.
“In this age of mass rapid transportation, this kind of arrangement and tedious journey due to lack of manpower is a put off for the public,” says N. Jayaraman, president, Pattukkottai Taluk Railway Passengers' Welfare Association.
“The number of passengers on this train continues to drop because the train has no toilet or pantry facilities. People would not mind the long journey at least if these facilities are made available especially because of the huge difference between the train and bus fares,” says Mr. Jayaraman.
If a passenger needs to travel to Thanjavur, a cab would cost at least ₹1,200 but the train ticket to Tiruvarur from where a connecting train can be taken only costs ₹20.
Officials of Southern Railway sayt they are aware of the issue. “The lack of manpower is not just on this stretch. The railway recruitment is underway and so far we have got nearly 300 employees for our division. But they cannot all be stationed at gates in this stretch. We are looking to put men on each level crossing, but will only be able to do so when the number of trains on this line, including express and passenger trains, increase,” says an official of Tiruchi Division.
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