Call for direct train to Velankanni from Chennai after BG line gets nod

Railway safety commissioner recently approved 23.5-km Peralam-Karaikal broad-gauge section

- B ANBUSELVAN @Chennai

WITH the Commissioner of Railway Safety approving train operations on the newly converted 23.5-km Peralam-Karaikal broad-gauge (BG) line recently, passengers are calling for a direct train service from Chennai to Velankanni via this route due to shorter distance compared to the current route through Tiruvarur.

Previously, the Chennai Egmore-Karaikal/Velankanni Kamban Express operated until 2022 but was discontinued following a decision of the Railway Board to phase out slip coaches. Slip coaches allowed a section of the train to be split and sent along a different route, while the rest continued along the main line. Additionally, the train's locomotive had to be reversed at Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, adding about an hour to the journey for passengers heading to Velankanni.