Restoration of late-night trains among list of demands by Gummidipoondi passengers
Prior to COVID-19, a train operated from Central station to Gummidipoondi at 12:15 am, and a return train operated at 2:45 am from Gummidipoondi.
CHENNAI: The Gummidipoondi rail passengers have come up with a charter of demands with the Southern Railway, including the restoration of late night trains, which was stopped due to the pandemic, separate track utilisation for local and express trains, stoppage of express trains at Gummidipoondi and punctuality of EMU trains.
Prior to COVID-19, a train operated from Central station to Gummidipoondi at 12:15 am, and a return train operated at 2:45 am from Gummidipoondi.
“These services were helpful for workers and passengers with late-night travel needs. Post-pandemic, these trains were discontinued, creating a long gap between the last train at 11:20 pm and the first morning train at 4:20 am from Chennai,” said S Suresh Babu, president of Gummidipoondi Railway Passengers Welfare Association. “The first train from Gummidipoondi now starts only at 3:50 am. Also, Necessary measures must be taken to improve the punctuality of EMU services on this route. Real-time tracking, efficient scheduling and coordination with freight operations will help improve passenger satisfaction.”
Between Athipattu and Basin Bridge, there are four tracks, which can be fully utilised to segregate suburban and express train operations. This would benefit office-goers, students, and the elderly who rely on EMU services daily.
“My train from Elavur is at 5:30 am. On Saturday, we reached Basin Bridge at 6:53 a, and waited for an hour for the express trains to pass through. There must be a separate track for local and express trains between Athipattu and Basin Bridge to reduce travel time from Gummidipoondi to Chennai,” opined Midhila M, a train commuter.
Passengers also demanded stoppage of major express trains at Gummidipoondi as it was a major industrial hub with a large population of workers and businesses that rely on intercity travel. Currently, passengers travel around 48 km to Chennai to board express trains to north and east India.
When contacted, officials of the Southern Railway failed to respond.
