State presses Southern Railway for direct Chennai-Chittoor train
Chennai: Amid rising passenger traffic towards Andhra Pradesh, the state govt has urged
to introduce a direct train between Chennai Central and Chittoor. This move aims to ease the ordeal of thousands of commuters who currently face long, inconvenient journeys.
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At present, passengers bound for Chittoor board west-bound trains from Chennai, disembark at Katpadi, and transfer to a connecting service. This often turns the 150km journey into a five-hour trip, much longer than travelling by road.
Passengers say the current system is particularly hard on senior citizens and families travelling at night. "It's extremely tiring to get down at Katpadi in the middle of the night and wait for another train," said Sundaram, a 68-year-old regular commuter.
"Sometimes the connection is missed, and we are left stranded for hours."
A direct service is expected to significantly shorten travel time and provide a reliable alternative for commuters linking Chennai, Chittoor, and nearby temple towns such as Tirupati and Kanipakam. Responding to a representation from ASM Krishna Singh from Chittoor smart city development society, a residents' welfare group, S Karmegam, additional secretary to
Tamil Nadu Transport Department
, wrote to Southern Railway on April 23, requesting immediate action and a reply under intimation to the state govt.
Along with the direct train, Chittoor residents also sought a double line between Tirupati and Katpadi to reduce distance for some routes by 30km, and stoppages for six express trains including the Rameswaram Express, Hatia Express, and Yeshwantpur Express.
"Some trains such as the Pune-Kanyakumari Express stop while travelling towards Thiruvananthapuram but not in the opposite direction," said Singh. Railway officials said that they will look into the demand as they are currently focusing on doubling on the western outskirts of the city.
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