CHENNAI: Suburban commuters have urged railways to introduce more stops, improve frequency of trains and improve amenities at stations on Katpadi-Arakkonam-Tiruvallur-Chennai section.
Suburban commuters associations submitted petitions to the divisional railway manager (DRM) during his inspection on Wednesday.
Though train services are operational between Arakkonam and Chennai, their frequency and number of halts are not adequate for people who come from Chitteri, Anvardikhanpet and other localities between Katpadi and Arakkonam. G Kumar, a frequent commuter, said people who travel from Chitteri to Chennai for work struggle because one train operated in peak hours does not stop at the station. “There is no train between 1pm and 7.30pm at Chitteri. People returning home from Arakkonam find it travel tough.”
The need to operate suburban trains using 12car rakes, running fast locals on dedicated tracks, and making announcements at all stations are some of the demands submitted by residents of Tiruvallur to improve train services on Chennai-Tiruvallur route.
“Railways are using different coaches like eight cars, nine cars and sometimes 12 cars on suburban trains. There is no uniformity. This is creating confusion among commuters. There are no announcements about the number of coaches in the approaching train at small stations. Trains are run using 12 car rakes on the Chengalpet route,” said K Baskar, a frequent commuter.
