Vellore MP M. Abdul Rahman has urged the Ministry of Railways to explore the feasibility of operating a daily link service from Tirupati via Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment for connection with south-bound trains at the Villupuram station for the benefit of the large number of passengers from Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts visiting the southern districts.He was talking to newspersons at the Gudiyatham railway station after inaugurating an Integrated Unreserved Ticketing System (IUTS) at the station on Tuesday. Mr. Abdul Rahman made this request in response to a query from reporters about the need for reviving the daily express service between Tirupati and Madurai via Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment railway stations, now that the work on the Vellore Cantonment-Villupuram broad gauge conversion has been completed and a bi-weekly service between the two stations launched via Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment. (A daily train service (Meenakshi Express) was being operated on the previous metre gauge track between Tirupati and Madurai till the service was stopped to pave the way for the work on conversion into broad gauge about 10 years ago).The MP said that the people of Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts who wanted to go to the southern districts would have to go via Chennai or Erode. Though the BG conversion project on the Katpadi-Vellore Cantonment-Villupuram line has been completed several months ago, it is inexplicable why the Tirupati-Madurai Express via Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment continues to be operated as a bi-weekly train service. He said that he has reminded the railway officials several times about the need to operate a daily service on the route. As a first step, the Railway Ministry should explore the possibility of operating a daily link service from Tirupathi via Vellore Cantonment and connect the coaches to south-bound trains at the Villupuram station.
Responding to the request for providing season tickets from Gudiyatham to Chennai for the benefit of the daily commuters, who are at present denied the facility on the grounds that the distance between the two stations exceeded the required distance (a maximum of 150 km) for provision of season tickets by four km, Mr. Abdul Rahman promised to take up the matter with the Railway Board and obtain exemption from the rule for the benefit of the passengers from Gudiyatham.S. Anantharaman, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Chennai said that he would convey to his counterpart in Tiruchi the request for operation of daily service between Tirupati and Madurai via Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment for being taking up with the Railway Board. As for the possibility of operating a link service on the Tirupati-Villupuram line for connection with south-bound trains from Chennai, he said that the Railway Ministry gave up the operation of ‘slip coaches' (coaches for linking with main trains) some months ago. However, he would recommend to the higher authorities to explore the feasibility of operating slip coaches on the Tirupati-Villupuram line, he said.Referring to the demand for halting the Salem-Katpadi Electro Motive Unit (EMU) train at Gudiyatham and for extension of the Bangalore-Jolarpet Passenger up to Katpadi, Mr. Anantharaman said that each train stop in a station cost the Railways Rs.7400. Besides, a minimum of 42 tickets have to be sold for travel in a particular train if it has to be stopped in a station. It took an extra 10 minutes for every train stop, taking into account the deceleration/acceleration time and the one-minute stop. The DRM said that the IUTS has been started at the Gudiyatham station under the ‘1000 PRS (Passenger Reservation Service) Scheme of MPs' under which the railways have decided to open 1000 PRS, giving priority to the recommendation of each of the 550 elected MPs who can recommend the starting of a PRS centre in one station each in their constituencies. The IUTS which would work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily would make Tatkal bookings in addition to general bookings between 8 a.m. and 8.45 a.m. daily. After 8.45 a.m., it would issue both reserved and unreserved tickets. K. Lingamuthu, Gudiyatham MLA, C.K. Thamizharasan, K.V. Kuppam MLA, Amudha Sivaprakasam, municipal chairperson, Gudiyatham and V.K. Selvaraj, president, Veppur panchayat participated.
Responding to the request for providing season tickets from Gudiyatham to Chennai for the benefit of the daily commuters, who are at present denied the facility on the grounds that the distance between the two stations exceeded the required distance (a maximum of 150 km) for provision of season tickets by four km, Mr. Abdul Rahman promised to take up the matter with the Railway Board and obtain exemption from the rule for the benefit of the passengers from Gudiyatham.S. Anantharaman, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Chennai said that he would convey to his counterpart in Tiruchi the request for operation of daily service between Tirupati and Madurai via Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment for being taking up with the Railway Board. As for the possibility of operating a link service on the Tirupati-Villupuram line for connection with south-bound trains from Chennai, he said that the Railway Ministry gave up the operation of ‘slip coaches' (coaches for linking with main trains) some months ago. However, he would recommend to the higher authorities to explore the feasibility of operating slip coaches on the Tirupati-Villupuram line, he said.Referring to the demand for halting the Salem-Katpadi Electro Motive Unit (EMU) train at Gudiyatham and for extension of the Bangalore-Jolarpet Passenger up to Katpadi, Mr. Anantharaman said that each train stop in a station cost the Railways Rs.7400. Besides, a minimum of 42 tickets have to be sold for travel in a particular train if it has to be stopped in a station. It took an extra 10 minutes for every train stop, taking into account the deceleration/acceleration time and the one-minute stop. The DRM said that the IUTS has been started at the Gudiyatham station under the ‘1000 PRS (Passenger Reservation Service) Scheme of MPs' under which the railways have decided to open 1000 PRS, giving priority to the recommendation of each of the 550 elected MPs who can recommend the starting of a PRS centre in one station each in their constituencies. The IUTS which would work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily would make Tatkal bookings in addition to general bookings between 8 a.m. and 8.45 a.m. daily. After 8.45 a.m., it would issue both reserved and unreserved tickets. K. Lingamuthu, Gudiyatham MLA, C.K. Thamizharasan, K.V. Kuppam MLA, Amudha Sivaprakasam, municipal chairperson, Gudiyatham and V.K. Selvaraj, president, Veppur panchayat participated.
