Rail users welcome announcement of Charlapalli to Kanniyakumari weekly express

The Thanjavur District Rail Users’ Association has welcomed the South Central Railway’s decision to operate a weekly special train from Charlapalli near Secunderabad in Telangana to Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu through the mainline section of the Southern Railway from April.

According to association secretary A. Giri, the announcement of the weekly special was a result of the persistent demand from the passengers of Thanjavur District which was also backed by the Telangana Tamil Sangam.

Regretting cancellation of the special train service between Secunderabad and Rameswaram operated through the main line since 2019 despite good occupancy, the association pleaded for the extension of Hyderabad-Tambaram Charminar Express up to Nagercoil through the mainline.

When the association members accompanied by Tamil Nadu BJP State General Secretary Karuppu M. Muruganantham met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to press the demand for the rail link to Telangana capital city from the Delta, the Union Minister assured them to look at the possibilities of providing a rail link as demanded by the association, Mr. Giri added.

As per the South-Central Railway’s announcement, the proposed special train will leave Charlapalli at 9.50 p.m. on Wednesdays and reach Kanniyakumari at 2.30 a.m. on Fridays. The train will enter Tamil Nadu through Tiruttani after leaving Renigunta and proceed via Arakonam, Katpadi and Tiruvannamalai to reach Villupuram.

From Villupuram, it will pass through the mainline section to reach Tiruchi from where it will take the Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Sattur, Kovilpatti, Tirunelveli, Valliyur, and Nagercoil route to reach Kanniyakumari. It will leave Kanniyakumari at 5.15 a.m. on Fridays and reach Charlapalli by 11.40 a.m. the next day.

Unoccupied berths

Meanwhile, passengers travelling to Nellore/Ongole and other intermediate stations from Delta districts, who depend on Tirunelveli-Purulia Weekly Super Fast Express (22606), run by South Eastern Railway via Tiruchi, have pleaded for suitable changes in the advance booking facility for this service.

Invariably several berths in the second class coaches remain unoccupied between Tiruchi and Katpadi in this train, according to Subramanian of Thanjavur.. On the other hand, if any passenger preferring to travel up to Katpadi or any intermediate station from Tiruchi attempts to book a ticket even a week or 10 days ahead, the advance ticketing system indicates non-availability of confirmed tickets in the train, he added.