Title - Continuation of Bangalore-Nagercoil weekly express sought

The Kanyakumari District Railway Users’ Association has urged the Union Minister for Railway to ensure the continuation of Bangalore-Nagercoil weekly express (16537/38).In a memorandum to Union Minister for Railways, Mallikarjun Kharge, secretary of the association, P. Edward Jeni has said that people in the district were disappointed to hear that the existing weekly service from Nagercoil to Bangalore 16537/16538 via Hosur, Salem, Erode and Madurai may be discontinued. Thousands of people from the southern district were travelling to Bangalore for employment, business and as tourists. A sizeable number of IT professionals working in Bangalore also visit places like Kanyakumari, Madurai and Kovalam during weekends.If this weekly train was extended to Kochuveli (Thiruvanathapuram) and operated on Fridays from Bangalore city instead of Thursdays without change in the return journey through Nagercoil on Saturdays it would be a great boon to tourists and also people living in Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks of Tamil Nadu and Neyyatinkara taluk of Kerala.

“In the history of Indian Railways, rarely has been a train service discontinued. Invariably, the services are extended to cover a larger area. The concerned Zonal Railways should consider retaining this weekly train with extension to Kochuveli”, said Mr. Jeni

He further thanked the introduction of a daily direct train between Nagercoil and Bangalore via Namakkal and Madurai in the 2013-14 Budget.

This genuine need of the people was being realised after a 15-year long wait and therefore it is hoped that the Southern Railway and South Western Railway start this service in right earnest, he added.