The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Thanjavur News : Rockfort Express will not be disturbed: Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Thanjavur

Rockfort Express will not be disturbed: Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR, SEPT. 19 . The Rockfort Express now running between Kumbakonam and Chennai will not be disturbed at any cost. It will continue to serve Thanjavur and Kumbakonam passengers, said S.S.Palani Manickam, Union Minister of State for Finance.

Speaking at a meeting to hear the grievances of railway users here today, Mr. Palani Manickam said he was assured by Southern Railway officials that the train would not be disturbed. "I am assuring you on behalf of the railway officials after getting their consent that the train will not be disturbed'', Mr. Palani Manickam said.

He said this as many of the speakers including the Thanjavur MLA, S. N. M. Ubayathullah, expressed fears that the train might be withdrawn.

D. K. Saraf, Divisional Railway Manager, Southern Railways, Tiruchi division, said the train had been included in this year time-table and there was no question of disturbing it.

Mr. Ubayathullah said the Rockfort Express, which was running between Thanjavur and Chennai was extended upto Kumbakonam after broad gauge conversion. Out of eight coaches now available with the train, three had been allotted for Kumbakonam. In the five coaches allotted for Thanjavur, three were reservation coaches and one general and one air-conditioned coach. This was not sufficient for Thanjavur passengers. Additional coaches should be included in the train for the benefit of Thanjavur and Kumbakonam passengers, the MLA said.

Mr. Saraf said that till October 31, there would be some technical difficulties in increasing the number of coaches of the Rockfort Express. The demand would be considered after October 31.

The DRM also said that broad gauge conversion in the Thanjavur-Tiruvarur stretch was going on in full swing. Men and materials had been moved and the work was going on. He said the Southern Railway had sent proposals for operating two trains in the morning and two trains in the evening between Kumbakonam and Tiruchi. Apart from these, after assessing the traffic flow, decision would be taken on introducing one train from Kumbakonam to Chennai.

Mr.Chidambaram, district secretary of the Communist Party of India, demanded laying of a railway track from Pattukottai to Thanjavur and introduce a farmers' train from Thanjavur to Chennai.

Mr. Palani Manickam said that Rs. 20 lakhs had been allotted for conducting a survey for laying a line between Thanjavur and Ariyalur. The proposal for laying a line between Thanjavur and Pattukottai would be taken up after completion of the Thanjavur-Ariyalur stretch. He said that a railway over bridge would be constructed this year on Thanjavur-Pattukottai Road. Proposals for construction of a sub-way in the railway station and an overbridge between Srinivasapuram and Ganapathy Nagar had also been presented to the Southern Railway.

A suggestion was also made at the meeting for removing the traffic bottleneck on Gandhiji road side for the buses going out from the railway station.

Nanji.Varadarajan, chairman, Thanjavur panchayat council, Selvam, former chairman of Thanjavur Panchayat Council, Chandrakumar, secretary of the AITUC, and Vivek of the MDMK also spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Rockfort Express will not be disturbed: Minister