T’puram: Rail passengers urged railways to resume Kollam-Coimbatore/Erode via Punalur train that was discontinued for gauge conversion work on Kollam-Sengottai route 12 years ago. A joint meeting of Kollam-Sengottai Railway Passenger Association and Sengottai Rail Passenger Association urged authorities to restart the Kollam-Erode Express via Sengottai, Madurai and Palani.The associations said that the plan to start an Ernakulam-Velankanni train via Punalur will also add a morning train on the route and will offer an easy connection to Thanjavur and Kumbakonam.“The lack of passenger services on the Punalur-Sengottai section is causing huge inconvenience to the public,” said M C Ajish, president of Kollam-Sengottai Railway Passenger Association.The meeting also demanded start of Kollam-Tirunelveli passenger services in the morning and evening to cater to the needs of the people.“This train is a cost-effective option for people from Tenkasi to reach Thiruvananthapuram,” said K H Krishnan, Secretary, Sengottai Railway Passengers Association.Sengottai association noted that people from southern Tamil Nadu face significant challenges in accessing Thiruvananthapuram’s medical facilities, including RCC and Sree Chitra. Despite repeated demands, the Erode train is yet to materialize.The associations have appealed to BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, to intervene and facilitate the restart of the train service.
