TN MPs submit petitions to Railway Minister, seek Vande Bharat between Chennai-Rameswaram, and other train services

CHENNAI: Several political functionaries from Tamil Nadu have submitted petitions to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the introduction of new train services and upgrades to existing infrastructure. Among the key demands was a Vande Bharat express train service from Chennai to Rameswaram, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

Cuddalore Lok Sabha MP Vishnu Prasad recently met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Delhi and requested that Vande Bharat trains from Chennai should be operated to Rameswaram via Cuddalore. He also sought stoppages for the Muthunagar and Vaigai Express trains at Thittakudi station.

VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan submitted a petition with certain requests for his Chidambaram constituency. The petition sought that the Coimbatore-Mayiladuthurai (12083/84) Jana Shatabdi train should be extended to Chidambaram. It further said that the Tambaram-Sengottai Superfast Express (20683/84), Chennai-Karaikal Express (16175/76), and Rameswaram-Ayodhya Cantt (22613/64) should make a stop at Chidambaram. Thirumavalavan also requested for a new daytime passenger train to be operated from Chidambaram to Tiruchy. "The Chidambaram railway station should be upgraded and all express trains including Pandian and Tejas Express should stop at Ariyalur," he had mentioned in the petition.

A similar petition was submitted by DMK MP Rani Sreekumar of Tenkasi constituency calling for Tenkasi to be converted into a railway terminal. She proposed extending platform lengths at Keelapuliyur, Pavoorchatram, Ambasamudram, Kallidaikurichi, Cheranmahadevi and Tirunelveli Town railway stations to accommodate 24 coaches.

Among other demands was that the new Thiruvananthapuram - Chennai Vande Bharat should be operated via Tenkasi, Rajapalayam, Madurai and Vriddhachalam.

Congress MP from Tirunelveli constituency S Robert Bruce in his petition said that the Madurai-Bengaluru (20671) Vande Bharat train should be extended to Tirunelveli and should run directly from Tirunelveli via Madurai, Dindigul and Karur and not via Tiruchy. He also requested attaching an additional 8 coaches to the Vande Bharat train going from Tirunelveli to Chennai and extending the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore express train to Tirunelveli.