THESE ARE THE REPRESENTATIONS GIVEN BY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT KANYAKUMARI CONSTITUENCY, SMT.J.HELEN DAVIDSON, THE IRON LADY OF KANYAKUMARI TO THE RAILWAY MINISTER
To
Hon’ble.Shri.Dinesh Trivedi,
Minister of Railways,
New Delhi.
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Dear Sir,
I hereby put forth the following demands regarding developmental activities of passenger amenities and railway infrastructures in my constituency. I request that you may look into these matters and plan out for implementing the maximum demands.
I. Introduction of New Trains:
1. Velanganni to Kochuveli/Kollam via., Nagercoil daily overnight express train service Reg.
All pilgrims go to Velanganni from Trivandrum, Kollam and Kanyakumari districts throughout the year. I request the Railway authorities to provide daily overnight express train services. As of now the public and pilgrims are finding extremely difficult to travel by road to Velanganni. Lot of people from various fields travelling daily to Trichy and Thanjavur and all the student community and tourists will be benefited. The places like Thanjavur, Nagappattinam and Velanganni are well associated with three major religions of our Nations.

Therefore, if at least an overnight express train is operated between Velanganni and Kollam via Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Trichy, Dindigul, Madurai Tirunelveli, Nagercoil and Trivandrum, many pilgrims will be benefitted. Or the Southern Railway may try another option to run a daily traint to velanganni by extending the Madurai – Kollam Passenger (567000/567001) from Madurai to Velanganni.
2. Kaniyakumari to VascoDaGama (Goa) daily train via. Trivandrum and Ernakulam:
Kanniyakumari, the southernmost point in India, is a world–renowned tourist center. Pilgrims from all over India and foreign countries visit this tourist place regularly throughout the year. Goa is again another place of interest to those people visiting Kanniyakumari. There is no daily overnight train service from Kanniyakumari to Goa and surrounding areas. We find at present one of the train running between Nagercoil – Mangalore (16605/16606 ) to be an unwanted train by the users due to inconvenient arrival (23:30) and departure timing (2:00). As a special case we request the respected Railway authorities to facilitate this train extended up to Kanyakumari one way and to VascoDaGama on the other way.
Or else, a new daily train can be introduced between VascoDaGama and Kanniyakumari via Madgaon, Mangalore, Ernakulum, Kottayam and Trivandrum. It should be noted that this section of Indian subcontinent is much beholden to St. Xavier whose mission was vibrant in Quilon, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil, Mangalore and Goa areas. Christians here visit Goa often to pray to the saint whose mortal remains are interred in the Goa Basilica. The number of pilgrims from abroad and India, visiting Velanganni and Goa are increasing frequently.
I, therefore request you to take favorable action in expediting Kanniyakumari to Goa and Velanganni to Kollam daily train. It is highly appreciated if you could consider this matter with serious attention.
3. Kanyakumari - Mangalore Overnight daily Train service
At present there is no direct overnight train service from Kanyakumari beyond Shoranur or the west coast. A large number of tourist and local people traveling from Kanyakumari and other stations in the Kanyakumari district are facing great difficulties. Three daily overnight express trains ply between Mangalore and Trivandrum (Train Nos. 16347/16348, 16603/16604 and 16629/16630). Therefore it is essential that the train no 16603/16604 now running between Mangalore and Trivandrum may be extended up to Kanyakumari, with stoppages at Kuzhithurai and Eraniel. Or else, a new daily train can be introduced between Mangalore and Kanniyakumari via Ernakulum, Kottayam and Trivandrum. This would benefit lots of passengers at Kanniyakumari district by providing connectivity with North Kerala and west coastal places.
4. Trivandrum (Kochuveli) to Chennai Egmore via. Nagercoil daily Train service (Via. Nagercoil, Pudukkottai, Tiruchchirappalli, Thanjavur, Chidambaram and Cuddalore)
At present a lot of students of South Kerala and South Tamilnadu are studying in various colleges & Universities in delta regions. Also many are employed in various concerns in the same region. All of them find it very difficult to travel from south Tamilnadu and south Kerala by train and vise versa. We do not have any direct overnight daily train running between Trivandrum and Cuddalore including Delta region. Therefore, if at least an overnight express daily train is operated between Kochuveli and Chennai Egmore Via. Nagercoil, Pudukkottai, Tiruchchirappalli, Thanjavur, Myladuthurai, Chidambaram and Cuddalore will be highly beneficial. Apart from this, by providing an additional connectivity to Chennai will also enhance first time connectivity to places like Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore. For your information the train which was previously running from Chennai to Kollam on Meter Gauge can be introduced again in the above said routes.
Sub: Increasing the frequency of Trains (16537/16538) and (12641/12642)
1. Increase the service of Nagercoil – Bangalore 16537/16538 weekly to Daily
At present there is no shortest route for the daily train service from Kanniyakumari District to Bangalore. This is our demand for the past 15 years. In the last budget, February 2010 Nagercoil – Bangalore weekly train has been declared. But this weekly train service does not meet the huge demand. However, it is a disappointment that the train has been announced only as a weekly service, against our expectations of a daily. This route is badly in need of a direct daily night train. Nagercoil-Bangalore is a commercially justified service. South Western Railway had operated tri-weekly/weekly specials between Bangalore and Nagercoil in this route from 2003 till 2009, and these specials were well received by the passengers. Even the occasional weekly specials in the recent past were patronized well. On view of this demand, the services can be increased from weekly to daily, which would at least try to meet the increased public demand.
2. H.Nizamuddin – Kanniyakumari (12642)Thirukkural Express
It is very much necessary to increase the frequency of H.Nizamuddin – Kanniyakumari (12642) Thirukkural Express at least thrice in a week in order to cater the need of public. And the people of South Tamil Nadu will be benefited a lot by the increase of frequency of this train as a tri weekly express.
Note: The above mentioned two matters have to be given great importance and should be announced in the forth coming Railway budget.
Thanking You,

Sub: Extension of Trains (12759/12760), (16609/16610), (16649/16650),
(567000/567001)-To be announced in the Railway Budget 2012-2013
1. Extending the Chennai - Hyderabad Charminar Express (12759/12760) up to NCJ/CAPE Via. Tiruchchirappalli, Madurai
As there is no direct railway connectivity between Hyderabad and for some South Tamilnadu places like Tiruchchirappalli, Madurai and Nagercoil, people feel difficult to reach Hyderabad through train. Three daily trains ply between Chennai and Hyderabad (Train Nos. 12603/12604, 12759/12760 and 17651/17652). If one of these trains, preferably 12759/12760 can be extended up to Kanniyakuamri via. Chengalpattu, Tiruchchirappalli, Madurai and Nagercoil. The boarding passengers from Hyderabad have to reach Chennai and wait for the whole day for the connecting train to Kanniyakumari and vice versa. This transit causes more problems to people from Hyderabad also from Kanniyakumari. As the direct connectivity is available to all metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities except Hyderabad, this shows that railway authorities purposefully neglect this connectivity.
2. Extension of Train No.16609/16610 Coimbatore – Nagercoil Express or 16649/16650, Mangalore- Trivandrum Parasuram Express
Extension of 16609/16610 to KCVL, or extension of 16649/16650 Parasuram Mangalore – Trivandrum Express to NCJ or introduction of a Passenger Train at 19.00 hrs from Trivandrum Central towards Nagercoil Junction/ Kanyakumari is necessary. Up to the year 2001, train 56315 Passenger was leaving Trivandrum Central at 19.00 hrs providing connection for commuters arriving by 16350 Express. This train serviced the needs of people working in private firms where duty hours were up to 18.00 hrs.
However, timings of Train No.56315 was changed as at present i.e. 17.15 hrs,which is also a peak time and ever since there is demand for providing an alternate train towards Nagercoil Junction at 19.00 hrs .56701 Passenger is of limited use to commuters, as it reaches the popular destinations too late, when town bus services are stopped. Extension of 16609/16610 (NCJ – CBE/CBE-NCJ Expresses to TVC/KCVL is commercially justifiable, to cater the needs of commuters in Vilavancode and Kalkumam taluks of my constituency. If there is no possibility in extending 16649/16650 train, I request the honorable Railway Minister
3. Extension of Madurai – Kollam Passenger (567000/567001) from Madurai to Velanganni.
There is a huge demand from the public to operate a daily train to Velanganni from Kollam via Trivandrum Nagercoil, Madurai, Trichy, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam. This train reaches Madurai daily at 05:40 hrs and departs from Madurai at 22:50 hrs. Between these times, the train is idly parked at Madurai Junction. Instead this Kollam-Madurai Passenger train may be made as a daily train between Velanganni and Kollam.
Sub: Request for amendment in train timings and related matter
1. Nagercoil – Bangalore Express
I request the change of timings such as to reach in both directions before 8 am at Nagercoil and Bangalore stations subsequently for benefiting the public.
2. H.Nizamuddin – Kanniyakumari (12