Trains to Mettupalayam, Rameswaram sought

The Mannargudi Chamber of Commerce and the Tiruvarur District Railway Users Association urged the railways to introduce overnight trains from Mannargudi to Mettupalayam and Rameswaram via Madurai.A delegation of both the chamber and railway users association, led by G. N. Chandrabalan, president of the chamber and S. Haresh, president of the association, presented a memorandum to K. H. Muniyappa, Union Minister of State for Railways, at Nagore on Saturday.It said both these trains would benefit the businessmen, industrialists, tourists, and devotees to proceed to Coimbatore, Udhagamandalam, Rameswaram and Madurai.At present, after the inauguration of the newly laid BG track in the Needamangalam–Mannargudi section, the Mannargudi–Chennai express was the lone train being operated from Mannargudi, it stated.The memorandum demanded a DEMU (diesel electric multiple unit) train service from Mannargudi to Tiruchi.The Railway Minister has announced in the Railway Budget, the extension of Needamangalam–Mannargudi section to Pattukottai. The memorandum sought execution of project immediately.The delegation also demanded that the railways take steps for stopping the weekly Velankanni–Vasco Da Gama express at Tiruvarur junction on both sides. S. Rajagopalan, secretary of the Tiruvarur District Railway Users Association, P. L. Palaniappan, its treasurer, L. Babu, member, were part of the delegation.