Date:07/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/07/stories/2008110752580500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Inter-city special trains planned

Special Correspondent

They will cater for regular commuters as well as those travelling to tourist or pilgrim centres

These will run between Tiruchi and Madurai, Coimbatore and Erode, among other places
If they receive good patronage, the trains will be converted into regular services

CHENNAI: Southern Railway plans to run 372 short-distance special trains in a month to cater to the needs of commuters as well as those travelling to tourist or pilgrim centres in the State.

The special trains will be operated between Tiruchi and Madurai, Coimbatore and Erode, Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur, Arakkaonam and Tambaram, Tiruchur and Guruvayur and Thiruvananthapuram and Quilon.

Southern Railway has been operating special trains, mostly from Chennai to destinations in the south, during the holiday and festival season. Now it has extended the service, as the number of people commuting daily between major cities has increased substantially. For example, thousands of commuters travel daily between Arakkonam and Chengalpet/Tambaram, Quilon and Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore and Erode. These commuters are depending mostly on buses. Southern Railway wants to attract this section of commuters.

If the special trains receive good patronage, they will be converted into regular services, according to Chief Public Relations Officer Neenu Ittyerah.

Southern Railway will run 100 more services between Chennai and Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Tiruchi, Bangalore and Coimbatore; between Tirupati and Coimbatore; and from Bangalore to Ernakulam during this month and December.

Demand going up

Ms. Ittyeraah said statistics collected by the zone had revealed that the overall demand on certain routes, especially from Chennai to those in the south such as Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Tiruneveli and Nagercoil, was on the rise, a trend which persisted all through the year. Furthermore, there was demand for more trains to Bangalore from Chennai, Ernakulam and Coimbatore, possibly due to the increase in air fares and the relocation of Bangalore Airport. There was also demand for a train from Coimbatore to Tirupati.