Local trains are running, but closed ticket counters a pain

Local trains are running, but closed ticket counters a pain

Commuters on City-Tiruvallur Route Left To Make Detours

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  26.12.2020

Suburban train services may be returning to pre-Covid times, but commuters face a peculiar problem — locked ticket counters — at six stations on the Chennai-Tiruvallur route.

Commuters from Tirumullaivoil, Annanur, Hindu College, Nemilicherry, Putlur and Egattur stations are not able to get on to the trains despite them halting there as ticket counters are not functioning.

With no prior intimation about the counters being unavailable, commuters learn about it only after reaching the station and many choose not to board trains as they could be penalised if caught travelling without tickets.

The counters are run by private agents on contract as these stations are classified as ‘halt’ stations and railways was yet to allow the agents to start selling tickets.

K Baskar, a frequent commuter and former member of divisional rail users consultative committee, said, “This did not affect the commuters till now because only railway staff were using the trains. They should have told the agents to start selling tickets when it was decided to allow the general public take the trains.” From December 23, members of the public have been allowed to take the trains during non-peak hours. Patronage in suburban services have grown to be close to a lakh since.

Since the counters are closed, people at the stations are either forced to make a detour and board trains at stations located a few kilometres away or take buses to reach the city.

“People are forced to travel an additional 2-3km to reach another station to buy tickets. People from Egattur have to go to Tiruvallur to board trains while those from Nemilicherry go to Tiruninravur or Pattabiram stations. Many are inconvenienced because they find out about lack of ticket counters only after reaching the station,” said Raghavendra Bhat, a resident of Putlur. “My wife wanted to take the train home after visiting a relative at Nemilichery since it was convineient and safer, considering Covid-19. But that wasn’t possible,” he added. People are forced to spend ₹30 and use buses to reach places such as Avadi.

A majority of the people are travelling during peak hours. “We have been demanding the railways to scrap the concept of halt stations and appoint their staff to run the counters,” Baskar said. He also said railways was yet to understand commuter requirements. “On Friday, several people who worked in private companies suffered because railways operated just seven trains in the morning peak hours as it’s a public holiday,” he added.

A railway official said there wasn’t much patronage and that agents will have to keep running the counters. “This may not be an ideal situation as they operate on the basis of a commission for selling tickets. The counters will be opened soon as the number of commuters has increased,” he added.

Ticketing counters in six stations on the route classified by Southern Railway as ‘halt stations’ are yet to open