Rail users come up with a slew of demands ahead of MPs’ meeting with Southern Railway GM

Ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Members of Parliament with the Southern Railway General Manager in Tiruchi, rail user associations have placed a set of demands and their expectations to the people’s representatives

Ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Members of Parliament with the Southern Railway General Manager in Tiruchi, rail user associations have placed a set of demands and their expectations to the people’s representatives.

This will be the first meeting to be organised by the Southern Railway with the MPs elected in the limits of the Tiruchi Railway Division after the general elections held in 2024.  Rajya Sabha members are also expected to take part in the meeting that will be attended by top railway officers of the division.

The demands raised by various associations vary from implementation of track doubling project to need for introduction of new trains in view of the rising demand and passenger movements. The other top demands are expeditious completion of ongoing projects and improvement of passenger amenities at railway stations.

One of the key demands which the associations want the MPs to take up with the Southern Railway General Manager is to give a big push to the track doubling project in the age-old mainline section between Thanjavur and Villupuram that passes through Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, and Chidambaram. 

The mainline section is a major stretch that has witnessed steady rise in passenger movements over the years. “The existing single line section remains a handicap in the introduction of new train services.  Although surveys for track doubling had been conducted, there has not been any positive indication so far. Hence, the MPs should raise the demand in one voice for early approval and commencement of the track doubling project which has been a long-pending demand”, said A. Giri, secretary, Thanjavur District Railway Users’ Association.

Mr. Giri pointed out that when the Karaikal-Peralam new line section is opened for traffic, the pressure on the mainline will increase.

Early approval for doubling the Karaikal-Thanjavur broad gauge line section has been the demand of the Nagore Nagapattinam Rail Users Association. Survey for doubling the section had been conducted on this stretch but approval was yet to come, said association president S. Mohan. Doubling of the track will enable introduction of more trains besides enabling smooth movement of freight from Karaikal Port.