Passengers demand restoration of daily night train between Chennai and Karaikudi

Travellers in Pattukottai, Peravurani and Adirampattinam areas have urged the railways to restore the Chennai Egmore-Karaikudi-Chennai Egmore Kamban Express which was suspended over a decade ago to enable gauge conversion work in the 150-km Tiruvarur-Karaikudi stretch

Travellers in Pattukottai, Peravurani and Adirampattinam areas have urged the railways to restore the Chennai Egmore-Karaikudi-Chennai Egmore Kamban Express which was suspended over a decade ago to enable gauge conversion work on the 150-km Tiruvarur-Karaikudi stretch. 

In the absence of a daily service, people from these locations have to travel to Thanjavur or Mannargudi by bus to board a train to Chennai.

The Kamban Express used to be operated as a daily night train when the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur-Karaikudi stretch was a metre gauge line. The train had stops at Aranthangi, Peravurani, Pattukottai, Adirampattinam, Muthupet and Thiruthuraipoondi between Tiruvarur and Karaikudi. However, the service was suspended when the gauge conversion project was taken up between Tiruvarur and Karaikudi about a decade ago.  After a prolonged delay, the gauge conversion work was completed in 2019.  But the Kamban Express has not been restored, says V. Viveganantham, a resident of Ponnavarayankottai and a retired State government official.

At present, the Tambaram-Sengottai-Tambaram tri-weekly train and the weekly Secunderabad-Ramanathapuram-Secunderabad Express are the only trains that pass through Aranthangi, Peravurani, Pattukottai, Adirampattinam, Muthupet, and Thiruthuraipoondi, says Mr. Viveganantham.  

“The Chennai Egmore-Karaikudi-Chennai Egmore train used to be a very good service until it was suspended to take up gauge conversion work years ago. The suspension of the service has greatly hit travellers of Adiramapattinam, Pattukottai and Peravurani who are now forced to travel by bus either up to Thanjavur or Mannargudi to board a train to Chennai,” says Abdul Razak, secretary, Adirampattinam Train Passengers’ Welfare Association.

Repeated representations had been made to the authorities concerned to resume this service. “But our demand is yet to be fulfilled,” says Mr. Razak. The railways should restore the Kamban Express at the earliest, says Mr. Viveganantham, who recently e-mailed a memorandum containing this demand to the Southern Railway General Manager.