Title - Train to Puducherry becomes a reality

Beginning Friday, Coimbatore will have its first ever rail connectivity with Puducherry with train No 16855 from Puducherry to Mangalore being re-routed via Coimbatore. The train will arrive Coimbatore at 1.10 a.m. on Friday.The train will depart Puducherry at 4.35 p.m. on Thursdays and via Coimbatore Junction it will reach Mangalore Central Junction at 9.40 a.m. on Fridays.In the return direction, train No 16856 will depart Mangalore Junction at 05.05 p.m. on Fridays and reach Coimbatore Junction at 12.46 a.m. on Saturdays and reach Puducherry Junction at 10 a.m. on Saturdays.Hitherto, the train was run on the Irugur – Podanur – Irugur sector. The railway website has Coimbatore in the train berth availability section, but Coimbatore is yet to figure in the train schedule section.This becomes the fourth train to be routed via Coimbatore, out of the 13 trains sought by the Railway Struggle Committee led by Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarajan. In addition, the train also provides connectivity to the pockets in the 139-km rail line of the Southern Railway between Salem and Vridhachalam Junction making travel to Attur, Chinna Salem, Vridachalam and Villuppuram more comfortable.With regard to ticket availability, travel from Mangalore to Coimbatore in the first few services and from Coimbatore to Puducherry has already received overwhelming patronage with wait-listed passengers. Similarly, there is tremendous response from Puducherry to Coimbatore section, but there are seats still available for the journey from Coimbatore to Mangalore.

The fare for travel in sleeper class is only Rs.181 and Rs.498 in III AC.

Patronising this train is essential so that railways will consider increasing its frequency into a bi-weekly or a tri-weekly and then into a daily train service at a later date, says G.K. Nagarajan and R. Raveendran of Railway Struggle Committee.

Coimbatore has quota of berths in the train. However, the train is being run with one AC two-tier, one AC two-tier and six second sleeper and six general compartments. The railway sources pointed out that there was definitely scope for augmenting the coaches in a phased manner depending on the patronage.

Rail activist S. Ravi points out that the train will provide comfortable connectivity for tourists, linking them with the Nilgiris and Puducherry.

If the train gets good response, Coimbatore could ask for a day-time Intercity Express to Puducherry. There could be even an overnight train service between Coimbatore and Puducherry, the struggle committee sources add.