Title - Ekm-Thrissur Memu to chug off today

THRISSUR: Bringing relief to thousands of short-distance commuters, the Mainline Electric Multiline Unit (Memu) between Ernakulam and Thrissur will chug off from Saturday. The 66611 train, announced in the railway budget for 2012-2013, will flag off from the Ernakulam Junction at 2.30pm on Saturday and will reach Thrissur station at 4.50pm.

The eight car train will run on all days except Tuesdays and will have stops at 15 stations between Ernakulam Junction and Thrissur. The Memu train will start at 10.50am from Thrissur and will reach Ernakulam at 12.55pm. Union food minister K V Thomas and MPs P C Chacko and K P Dhanapalan will flag off the new Memu train," said Thrissur railway station manager K R Jayakumar.

The second cars in front of the train and in its rear part have been reserved for first class and women passengers and the rest will be second class.

The fare for second class travelling from Thrissur to Chowara, Aluva, Kalamassery, Edapally, Ernakulam and Ernakulam Junction is Rs 15. Meanwhile, it is Rs 10 to Chalakudy, Devine Nagar, Koratty, Karukutty and Angamaly and for Ollur, Pudukad, Nellayi and Irinjalakuda the fare is Rs 5. The first Memu train in Kerala has been running on Shoranur-Palakkad-Coimbatore route.

Thrissur: The wait of commuters for having a Mainline Electric Multiline Unit (MEMU) between Ernakulam and Thrissur comes true on Saturday. The 66611 train, announced in the railway budget for 2012 - 2013 will flag off from Ernakulam junction at 2.30pm on Saturday and will reach Thrissur station at 4.50pm.

The eight car train will run on all days except Tuesdays and will have stops at 15 stations between Ernakulam junction and Thrissur. The MEMU train from Thrissur station will start at 10.50am and will reach Ernakulam at 12.55pm.

Thrissur Railway station Manager K R Jayakumar said, "Union Food minister K V Thomas, Thrissur MP P C Chacko and Irinjalakuda M P K P Dhanapalan will flag off new MEMU train at Ernakulam junction of Saturday".

The second cars in front of the train and in its rear part have been reserved for first class and women passengers and the rest are second class. MEMU trains are those which run on electric motors attached with each car and do not require a special engine. Loco Pilot in MEMU train is known as Motorman and there will be only one Motorman in each train. There will not be assistant loco pilot.

The fare for second class travelling from Thrissur to Chowara, Aluva, Kalamassery, Edapally, Ernakulam and Ernakulam junction is Rs 15. Meanwhile it is Rs 10 to Chalakudy, Devine Nagar, Koratty, Karukutty and Angamaly and Rs 5 to Ollur, Pudukad, Nellayi and Irinjalakuda. The first MEMU train in Kerala has been running on Shoranur - Palakkad- Coimbatore route.