Passengers who were bound for Coimbatore from three distant places found themselves in a difficult situation after three express trains were short-terminated at Podanur railway station due to engineering works that began on Thursday on the tracks from there to Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: Passengers travelling to Coimbatore from three distant locations are in a difficult situation due to the short-termination of three express trains at Podanur railway station due to engineering work that began on Thursday on the tracks leading from there to Coimbatore. Passengers from Madurai, Shoranur and Palakkad face the situation of putting up with the difficulty till June 20.
The apparent inadequacy of public transport from Podanur to Coimbatore has forced several hundreds of passengers to depend heavily on auto rickshaws and spend a minimum of %300 to reach Coimbatore Junction.
On Thursday, for instance, hundreds of passengers bound for Coimbatore from Madurai found themselves stranded after alighting at Podanur.
In the absence of buses, which, locals say, do not pass through the Podanur railway station due to the poor condition of roads, the passengers have the only option of depending on autorickshaws. Left with little time, those facing the compulsion of boarding connecting trains at Coimbatore Junction shell out the money demanded by the auto drivers.
The passengers are disappointed that the Podanur station was not included in the ambit of call taxi services, which they believe could have been a minor mitigating element. “It is sad to see passengers, particularly elderly ones and women with children moving about helplessly with luggage,” said S. Devadas, Palani Coordinator of Dindigul District Consumer Rights Protection Association.
The travelling public were indeed aware of the importance of the maintenance works on the tracks, but the lengthy duration of 20 days required some alternative arrangements on the part of the Railways, he said.
According to passengers, the official machinery should consider operation of shuttle bus services between Podanur and Coimbatore coinciding with the timings of the three express trains.
Otherwise, they suggested that the railways consider rescheduling a few trains to offer connection between Podanur and Coimbatore.