The Train Passengers’ Association, Papanasam, has urged the Southern Railway to consider allocation of a counter exclusively for booking/purchasing of tickets through digital payments.
Participating in the Tiruchi Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee meeting held at Tiruchi on Thursday, association secretary T. Saravanan said that commuters trying to purchase open tickets at the eleventh hour to travel during peak hours at important stations such as Kumbakonam in Tiruchi Division find it difficult to complete the digital transaction process on time. This affects commuters waiting in the queue to buy tickets by paying cash, he added.
Hence, he said, Southern Railway should consider opening a counter exclusively for passengers opting to complete the transaction through digital payment mode or installing an adequate number of manually operated ticket-vending machines at important railway stations in the Tiruchi Division. Cash payment booking could be offered at the digital payment counters during the non-peakhours, he added.
Mr. Saravanan also demanded a stop at Papanasam railway station for the unreserved Tambaram-Nagarcoil Antyodhaya Express, a long-pending demand of commuters of the region.
Introduction of a new service to connect Thanjavur with Bengaluru, conversion of the weekend special train between Tambaram and Tiruchi as a regular service, shelter on the entire platform at Papanasam and Thanjavur Junction, shifting the goods shed from Thanjavur Junction to a suitable place at Thittai or Alakudu or Papnasam in the region were the other demands put forth by the association at the meeting.
Safety awareness
Meanwhile on April 2, the Government Railway Police, Kumbakonam, organised a safety awareness meeting for women at Kumbakonam Railway Station.
A Whatsapp group was formed by the police by collecting mobile phone numbers of women passengers commuting daily on the Kumbakonam-Tiruchi and Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthurai section. The members of the group were encouraged to post messages about any untoward incident they come across, if any, in the group during their journey. They were assured that their identity would be kept confidential, sources added.
Published – April 03, 2025 05:03 pm IST
