Title - ‘Uzhavan’ offers a mixed bag - The Hindu

It is celebration time for the people of delta districts, as the railways has conceded to their long-pending demand for a direct night train to Chennai from Thanjavur by introducing the Thanjavur-Chennai Uzhavan Express from September 1. This is the third new train to be introduced in the region in the last three months. On June, the railways introduced the Mannagudi-Coimbatore Chemmozhi Express and Puducherry-Kanyakumari weekly Express via Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Karaikudi, and Virudhunagar last month.

While commuters feel the departure timings of these trains – Uzhavan Express leaving Thanjavur at 8.45 p.m. and reaching Chennai at 4.55 a.m. and the Chemmozhi Express leaving Mannargudi at 8.10 p.m. and reaching Coimbatore at 5 a.m. – are commuter-friendly, the timings on their return direction from Chennai Egmore and Coimbatore respectively are not so . .

Commuters boarding the Uzhavan Express, which leaves Chennai at 11.30 p.m., at Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Tindivanam and Villupuram can do so only in odd hours. The departure timing could be revised to 10 p.m. or earlier so that the train could reach Thanjavur at 6 a.m. This will immensely benefit officer-goers and students, they say.

Similarly the Chemmozhi Express departing at Coimbatore at 11.55 p.m. and reaches Tiruppur at 12.53 a.m., Erode at 1.45 a.m., and Tiruchi at 4.40 a.m. People travelling by this train from Coimbatore to Tiruchi will hardly get a little over four hours sleep.

For people, particularly senior citizens, women and children, of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Tiruchi visiting Tirupur and Erode, the current timing is not travel-friendly, says Rama Sathiyamoorthy, a senior citizen of Tiruchi.

The odd timings might compel them to take a bus, he adds. People of delta districts have lot of connection with Hyderabad. They catch trains to Hyderabad from Chennai. When the railways announced the Madurai-Kacheguda weekly express in the Railway Budget 2012-13, they expected the train to be operated via the main line.

They were in for a big disappointment when the railways introduced the train via Tiruchi, Karur, and Erode.

At present, a daily Chennai Egmore-Kacheguda Express leaves at 5 p.m. The Cholan Express departing from Tiruchi at 9.35 a.m. reaches Chennai Egmore at 5.50 p.m. K.Rajendran, BJP leader of Mayiladuthurai, says that the arrival timing of the Cholan Express at Chennai Egmore should be advanced to 4.30 p.m. to enable those travelling by this train to catch the Kacheguda Express at Egmore. The newly introduced Puducherry-Kanyakumari Express reaches Kanyakumari at 3.15 a.m.

A large number of people of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur travel to Kovilpatti, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil and this train reach these centres in the odd hours. The arrival time of this train at Kanyakumari should be delayed to 6 a.m. Mr.Rajendran has also pleaded for increasing the frequency of the train to thrice a week.

People of the delta districts have also pleaded for steps for advancing the arrival time of the Guruvayur Express at Chennai, so that they could catch the north-bound trains leaving Chennai in the late evening hours and also the departure time of the Guruvayur Express to enable people arriving from north to catch the train for their onward journey.