30 years later, Pattukkottai station goods yard resumes service

TIRUCHY: The goods yard in Pattukkottai railway station that was non-functional for nearly 30 years resumed service from Monday and bags of paddy were sent for hulling by the TNCSC mills on the first day.

The broad gauge works for Tiruvarur-Pattukkottai-Karaikudi had commenced in 2012 and was completed in 2019 and at present, trains are being operated in these lines. As a part of the expansion programme, a fund of Rs 8 crore was allocated for establishing a goods yard with adequate facilities and they were completed recently. On Monday, the goods yards resumed activities and the lorry owners and loadmen along with the other workers conducted a pooja and started loading paddy for hulling in the presence of Senior Regional Manager N Uma Maheswari, Rail transport inspector Bethuraj, Pattukkottai railway station master Marutha Pandian and others were present.

According to the officials, the TNCSC sent the paddy loads through the wagons when the station had a metre gauge and the fertilizers and other allied commodities were unloaded for the Thanjavur Cooperative Marketing Society.

However, in 1993 the goods wagon operations were stopped at the railway station and thus the goods yard was left abandoned.

“Now, after the renovation of the goods yard, the service resumed after a break of 30 years. This would help to load the paddy bags from Pattukkottai and Peravurani areas, which will save time. Through this, at least 350 persons would get regular employment,” an official said.

On the first day, paddy bags were sent in as many as 21 goods wagons to Rajapalayam for hulling. Previously, these paddy bags were transported either to Tiruvarur or to Thanjavur by various modes of transport, officials added.