Chennai: With the Tamilnadu government easing more lockdown curbs and allowing functioning of various industries and IT firms, the Southern Railway has risen to the occasion by operating a total of 630 Chennai suburban EMU train services on all the four sections.
Southern Railway officials said, “we were operating 660 EMUs during the pre-Covid time (before March last year). Due to the lockdown relaxations announced by the government, the EMU services were increased in a phased manner.”
Once the government started gradually easing the curbs, the EMU services too were enhanced. ‘From 380 to 470 trains, we have now increased to 630’, the officials said.
The normal services were restored in all the four sections viz., Chennai Beach-Tambaram, Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpet-Tirumalpur, Chennei Central-Tiruvallur-Arakkonam and Chennai Central-Gummudipoondi routes.
The officials said the Railways might also restore 20 more EMU trains depending on the rake movement and depending upon the need.
Though no time frame has been fixed to operate another 20 EMUs to take the total services to 650, depending upon the need or once the government announces completely relaxations, these trains will be put into operation.
They said staff of State/Central Govts/PSUs/High Court and other courts/Staff of private sector and other sectors with permission letter and ID cards, besides those passengers with reserved tickets for express/mail trains were allowed to travel round the clock.
However, male passengers not coming under these categories were not allowed to travel during peak hours 7.00 AM to 9.30 AM and 4.30 PM top 7.00 PM.
Women passengers and children below the age of 12 accompanied by women passengers were also allowed to travel without any time restrictions.