Tamil Nadu - Others   

An electric train cries for attention

M. Gunasekaran

Unit remains idle at the Coimbatore junction between 9.15 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.

TIRUPUR: This perhaps is the only electrical multiple unit (EMU) that travels less than 200 km a day. Introduced with much fanfare a couple of years ago between two important cities of Western Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore and Erode - the mainline EMU hardly seems to serve its purpose.

Despite its huge capacity, the growing requirement of the travelling community and there being no train service for four hours in this sector from 8.20 a.m., the EMU remains idle at the Coimbatore junction between 9.15 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., allege passengers. The EMU (number 607) starts from Erode at 6.30 a.m. and reaches Coimbatore, covering 99 km, at 9.15 a.m. On the return, it starts at 5.30 p.m. and reaches Erode at 8.20 p.m.

With rapid economic boom in the region, textile and other industries have generated more employment. Consequently, the number of workers, officials and businessmen commuting regularly among Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore has increased. And most of them prefer trains, as bus journey costs more and is tedious.

The Coimbatore MP, K. Subbarayan, said services among these places were urgent, but railway authorities hardly showed concern in using the resource to its optimum. The only EMU of this region would help reduce congestion on roads. A senior railway official said a proposal to operate one more trip had been sent to the Railway Ministry. But the Ministry was reluctant to introduce passenger trains as they were considered to incur loss.

Two more bogies

Women hosiery workers, commuting regularly between Coimbatore and Tirupur, lament that their plea to add one or two coaches to the Palakkad-Tiruchi Fast Passenger (number 888), with just seven bogies now, was yet to receive a response.

Most passengers are a disgruntled lot, as there is no development in this sector. They are pinning their hopes on the proposed Salem division.

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