NAGERCOIL, FEB 20
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ruled out the possibility of extending Chennai-Hyderabad train to Nagercoil in the Rajya Sabha on February 11.
Answering to the queries of MDMK chief and Rajya Sabha Member Vaiko, the minister said, “Representations inter alia for introduction of new trains are received at various levels of Railway administration viz. Railway station, Division, Zonal Headquarter and Railway Board level, a compendium of which is not maintained. The issue of extension of any of the three trains viz. 12759/12760 Tambaram-Hyderabad Charminar Express, 17651/17652 Chengalpattu-Kacheguda Express and 12603/12604 MGR Chennai Central-Hyderabad Express, serving Chennai-Hyderabad sector, up to Nagercoil, has been examined but not found feasible owing to operational and resource constraints.”
Vaiko had raised the following questions, “Will the Minister of Railways be pleased to state: (a) whether the Ministry has received requests and demands from various quarters for introduction of express train from Nagercoil to Hyderabad; (b) if so, the details and the present position thereof; (c) whether the Ministry considers re-scheduling and re-mapping one express train from Nagercoil to Hyderabad, out of the three trains from Chennai to Hyderabad; and (d) if so, by when and if not, the reasons therefor?’
Commenting on this Kanyakumari District Railway Users’ Association (KDRUA) secretary P Edward Jeni said that had it been the demand from Kerala, the Centre would have met it the same night. Jeni further lamented that Gujarat would have been pampered with eight new trains at one go without any demand.
