Commuters in the delta region have sought additional coaches in the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruchi-Mayiladuthurai MEMU Express (16833/16834) that runs via Thanjavur and Kumbakonam. The daily express train runs with eight MEMU cars. The number of cars should be increased to 12 in view of the high occupancy, they say. 

Passengers say they face hardship in getting accommodation while boarding enroute in the train. The train leaves Mayiladuthurai at 7.50 a.m. and reaches Tiruchi Junction at 10.15 a.m. with halts at Kuttalam, Aduthurai, Kumbakonam, Papanasam, Thanjavur, and Budalur. In the return direction, the train departs Tiruchi Junction at 4.20 p.m. and reaches Mayiladuthurai at 6.50 p.m. 

The morning express train from Mayiladuthurai is packed before reaching Kumbakonam and Thanjavur forcing commuters boarding from these two stations to stand and travel to Tiruchi. It is the same story in the return direction when the train leaves Tiruchi Junction in the evening. The crowd eases only beyond Kumbakonam, says A. Giri, secretary, Thanjavur District Railway Users Association. It is time the Southern Railway empathises with the passengers and adds more coaches to this express train, he says.

The association recently sent a memorandum to the Chief Passenger Transportation Manager, Southern Railway, Chennai, in this regard. Mr. Giri said in the memorandum that this train was introduced initially utilising the incoming rake of the Mysuru-Mayiladuthurai Express to serve the needs of the regular commuters in the delta region. With the Mysuru-Mayiladuthurai Express extended to Cuddalore Port Junction, the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruchi train was operated with conventional ICF coaches for a few months.  Later, the conventional coaches were replaced and the train is now run as an eight-car MEMU. Commuters have been demanding more coaches since the change over to MEMU rake and in view of the high occupancy in both directions, the memorandum said. 

“The present eight-car MEMU is insufficient to cope with the crowd as the train takes 150 minutes covering a distance of 120 km,” Mr. Giri further said in the memorandum.