40 yrs on, 1st passenger train to chug along Karaikal-Peralam line today

23.5 km stretch was cleared for operation of train services by railways three months ago

- B ANBUSELVAN @ Chennai

NEARLY three months after the commissioner of railway safety (CRS) cleared the section, the 23.5 km Karaikal-Peralam broad-gauge line was opened for passenger train operations last week. The original metre-gauge line, which connected the delta districts with Karaikal—the erstwhile French settlement in Puducherry UT—had been in service since 1898. It was shut in 1987 after services had been suspended for over three years and was later abandoned due to commercial and operational reasons.

Adding to the cheer of passengers, the railways announced that a special train between Villupuram and Nagapattinam will be operated via Karaikal-Peralam line, with stoppage at Thirunallar, a prominent pilgrimage centre in Karaikal. The maiden passenger service is to be launched on Friday.