Really tough time for the commuters travelling between Tambaram and Chengalpet now!!
Posted on: 14/Feb/2024 9:12:11 AM
In the last few months, the EMU services between Tambaram and Chengalpet has been reduced and due to this train passengers are facing issues. From 90 EMU services operated between Tambaram and Chengalpet in the past by the Southern Railways or SR , the EMU services operating now between these two places have come down to 83. It must be noted that no official information has been provided to the passengers about this reduction in the EMU services.
Point is that SR was operating 45 EMU services in the Chengalpet- Tambaram route and 45 EMU services in the Tambaram-Chengalpet route and this was till November 2023. The EMU services were reduced by SR due to maintenance work. From Tambaram, 42 trains were operated to Chengalpet and 41 trains to Tambaram from Chengalpet.
The bitter truth is that the number of EMU services did not increase even after the completion of maintenance works. In one of the busiest routes, SR continued to operate only 83 EMU services.
The commuters had hopes of more EMU services when a third line was introduced between Tambaram and Chengalpet by the SR about a year back. This was after the railway authorities assured the passengers that EMU services to Chengalpet would be increased and trains would be operated between Chennai Beach and Chengalpet. This has not happened and the number of trains has not increased.
According to a frequent commuter it was clear that the railway authorities were not informing them about the train cancellations even if the cancellations were temporary. He added that even in the railway stations there were no boards to inform the commuters about the cancellations, timings and frequency changes etc. On Sunday, few residents from Vandalur after reaching the railway station found it hard to digest the information about the cancellation of trains.
As per an activist from Chitlapakkam in Chennai, majority of the residents in and around the station depend on trains only for their regular travel. He spoke about how it was the duty of the railways dept to inform the public about the train cancellations and changes in train schedules etc.
