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Keralites may be stuck in Chennai

Owing to lack of special train services for Onam
Chennai: It has been a frustrating time for over 3,000 Keralites who are still stuck in the city without train tickets to go home for a visit in time for the Onam festivities. According to information available Sunday on the railway website, there were 3,011 passengers in the waiting list for the sleeper class facility alone in daily trains to different cities in Kerala.
Passengers and rail users association members complain that the railway has turned a blind eye towards the passenger’s persistent requests to introduce at least three special trains during the festive season.
The southern railway has introduced just one special train before ‘Thiruvonam’, the main day of the three-day Onam celebrations. The second special train that was introduced during the eve of the season is to leave Chennai central on August 28 evening, which passengers feel won’t serve any purpose as it falls on ‘Thiruvonam’.
“What is the point in introducing a special train that starts from Chennai on the day of ‘Thiruvonam’, the main day of celebrations. Also, looking at the trains allocated from places like Bengaluru, the number of train services to Kerala is very less,” said M.P Anwar, general convener, confederations of all India rail users association.
Malayali association members in the city feel that the railway has sidelined their requests on this issue. “Unlike other cities in the country, Chennai has a huge chunk of people from Kerala and therefore railways should have introduced at least three trains as they did last year. Also, from Bengaluru there are three ‘Suvidha’ trains this time,” said a member of the confederation of Tamil Nadu Malayali association.
He expressed the opinion that a strong lobby is working against the interest of the passengers heading to Kerala. Railway officials, when contacted, maintained that the amount of train services requested for at festival time cannot be provided due to technical reasons. “We are unable to provide three special trains because there no rakes are available. Moreover, there was no great demand for return trains from certain stations from Kerala,” said a railway official.
The first special super fast train (Train No. 06076) will leave Chennai Central on 3.05 pm on August 27 and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 7.45 am the next day. Advance booking for this train will commence on August 21. The second special train to run on Aug. 28 will head to Ernakulam, departing Chennai Central at 10.25 pm and reaching Ernakulam the next day at 11 am and will return on August 30 at 8:30 pm.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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