Call for direct train to Velankanni from Chennai after BG line gets nod
CHENNAI: With the commissioner of railway safety approving train operations on the newly converted 23.5-km Peralam-Karaikal broad-gauge (BG) line recently, passengers are calling for a direct train service from Chennai to Velankanni via this route due to shorter distance compared to the current route through Tiruvarur.
Previously, the Chennai Egmore-Karaikal/Velankanni Kamban Express, operated until 2022, was discontinued following a decision of the railway board to phase out slip coaches. Slip coaches allowed a section of the train to be split and sent along a different route, while the rest continued along the main line.
Additionally, the train's locomotive had to be reversed at Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, adding about an hour to the journey for passengers heading to Velankanni. With the new BG line now operational, it's possible to run direct trains from Chennai to Velankanni via Peralam, Karaikal, and Nagore, eliminating the need for a locomotive reversal at the two places. This route could also provide direct train service to Thirunallar, a Hindu pilgrimage town in Karaikal, from Chennai.
Velankanni, one of the state's major tourist and pilgrimage centres, attracts visitors throughout the year. Particularly, from April to January, the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health in Velankanni draws lakhs of visitors from Chennai and other parts of TN.
Currently, passengers on the Tambaram-Karaikal Express disembark at Nagapattinam around 4 am and get into the Nagapattinam-Velankanni DEMU Express to reach their destination.
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