RailEnquiry

The new Thanjavur-Chennai Egmore Uzhavan Express was flagged off from Thanjavur Railway Junction on Sunday amidst high drama as cadre of the AIADMK and the DMK turned up in large numbers with their party flags and raised slogans to claim credit for the introduction of the train.

As R. Vaithilingam, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, reached the stage, the AIADMK cadre surged forward and some of them climbed over the loco. Some cadre of the DMK too followed suit.

The AIADMK cadre even placed a portrait of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in front of the loco. Soon S.S.Palani Manickam, Thanjavur MP, came to the stage and the train left at the scheduled time.

The train that fulfils the long-pending demand of the people of Thanjavur for a direct night train chugged out of the platform at 8.45 p.m.

The train will reach Chennai Egmore at 4.55 a.m. on Monday. “The train is running full with 750 reservations,” said railway officials.

The train has 17 coaches out of which nine are sleeper class, one AC two tier, one AC three tier, four general second class, and two second class-cum-luggage.

The train will stop at Papanasam, Kumbakonam, Aduthurai, Kuttalam, Mayiladuthurai, Sirkali, Chidambaram, Cuddalore Fort Junction, Panruti, Villupuram, Tindivanam, Melmaruvathur, Chingleput, Tambaram, and Mambalam. Manjula Rangarajan, Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, participated in the function.

V.Jeevakumar, adviser to Train Passengers Association of Thanjavur to Tiruchi, said that the train would be of much use to the people of Thanjavur.

“It has been rightly named - Uzhavan Express - signifying the importance of the Cauvery delta and its farmers,” Mr. Jeevakumar said.

A.Giri, vice president, Thanjavur District Railway Users Association, suggested that the train’s departure from Chennai could be advanced.

It leaves Chennai Egmore at 11.30 p.m. and reaches Thanjavur at 7 a.m. “This could be advanced so that the train may reach Thanjavur early,” Mr. Giri said. Thanjavur now has three night trains to Chennai - Mannai Express, Rameswaram Express, and Uzhavan express- and Cholan and Thiruchendur express trains in the day.

Rockfort Express that had been providing the link to Chennai for Thanjavur and Kumbakonam people for 11 years is being run from Tiruchi from Sunday.