Activists being removed at the Thirupadiripuliyur station in Cuddalore on Thursday.
CUDDALORE:
Consumer activists and members of railway passengers' associations blocked a special train carrying Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) P.V. Vaithialingam (Tiruchi) and other officials at the Thirupadiripuliyur railway station here on Thursday.
A few of them even squatted on the track forcing the engine driver to stop the train ahead of the scheduled halting place. Railway Protection Police personnel accompanying the officials cleared the track by removing the agitators. As they started raising slogans urging the railway authorities to complete the works on the Thirupadiripuliyur railway station soon and take appropriate safety measures, the officials had a quick view of the platform where the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai passenger train had a rubbing on Wednesday and left.
Meanwhile, Municipal Chairman T. Thangarasu, office-bearers of the Federation of All Social Welfare Organiasations in Cuddalore, including M. Nizamudeen, Balki, M.Marudhavanan, and, zonal railway users' consultative committee member P.Sivakumar, made representations to the DRM requesting him to put in place all basic amenities at the station and ensure halting of all trains passing through the station. They said that since Thirupadiripuliyur, forming part of the temple circuit, was situated in the heart of the Cuddalore town, it was only appropriate that all trains halted here. At present, only the Kamban Express, the Madurai—Chennai bi-weekly express and the Villupuram—Mayiladuthurai Passenger were halting at the station.
Three other trains — Cholan Express, Varanasi Express and Bhuvaneswari Express — were just passing through the station. The Municipal Chairman also requested the DRM to erect a foot overbridge linking Kuppankulam and Padaleswarar Temple side. Mr. Nizamudeen told Mr. Vaithialingam that even though a subway was sanctioned, for which the civic body too had adopted a resolution expressing its consent, at the Lawerence Road level-crossing the Southern Railway had not taken any initiative in this regard.
He said that the railway property was encroached upon on the main bus stand side and had the land been recovered the dangerous curvature at the station could have been averted. Mr Sivakumar called for rescheduling the timing of the passenger trains so as to leave Cuddalore at 9.30 a.m. and, in return direction, leave Chidambaram at 5 p.m. Mr. Vaithialingam promised that he would look into the demands. He would see to it that all trains which had a halt at the station prior to gauge conversion, would have a halt once again.
However, he said that even though the construction of the subway was beyond his purview, he would write to the Railway Board to do the needful. When presspersons approached the DRM for his comments, he only said that the requests made by the organisations would be considered.
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