RailEnquiry

Chennai: Fear not if you reach Egmore ju­n­ction late to board a late eve­n­i­ng express train bound for the so­u­th. You could be sure not to mi­ss the train. Puzzled! Sample this: A few late evening trains bo­u­nd for Tiruchy, Madurai and beyond have of late been regularly starting late.

As recently as Th­u­rsday last week, Rockfort, Mannai and Kamban expresses started late by over a couple of ho­u­rs. On Sunday, the trains we­re delayed again. The reason – they didn’t have enough coaches.

Confirming the delay for want of coaches, senior railway sou­rces told DC that on the arrival of in-bound Guruvayur Express, coaches would be detached and attached to Kamban Express, which is the last to start south from Egmore.

Even if Guruvayur Express arrives on schedule at 9.15 pm, it would be difficult to ready Kamban, starting 11.15 pm, as the time would be inadequate to cut the engine, release the brake and move the coaches for brief maintenance and bring th­em ba­ck to attach to Kamban Expr­ess, sources added, explaining how Rockfort and Mannai expresses get caught in the Kam­ban-Guru­vayur coach shunting.

While passengers wait for the train to be moved from the yard, loco pilots, who arrive on time, endure the long wait that causes fatigue to set in early, sources reasoned, adding how punctuality pressure influences loco pilots who would be under compulsion to maintain punctuality despite a late start. Even last Thursday, Kamban Express left by 1.10 am, against the scheduled 11.15 pm, while Rockfort Express left 1 hour, 40 minutes late at 12.10 am.

“If this were the plight of the daily express trains, how would they run the 14 new trains announced for southern railway, including trains to Thanjavur, Mannargudi, Velankanni, from here,” railway officials preferring anonymity wondered.