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After a suspension that has lasted nearly 21 months, the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur sector of Southern Railways is all set to open for traffic sometime this month. Following the completion of the gauge conversion works, in addition to passenger rail traffic, an express train (weekly to start with) connecting Tiruchendur with Chennai has also been announced.

Along comes the news, this Weekly Express will not stop at Kayalpatnam railway station. Its only stoppages - after Tirunelveli would be Srivaikundam, Nazareth and Tiruchendur. This bit of news comes as a surprise - since a few Kayal organisations (working on this issue) have been assuring the people of Kayalpatnam for very long to the effect that they have the word of the Ministry and some ministers/politicians that - indeed Express trains would stop at Kayalpatnam station!

At the outset, we wish to point out that the approach of some Kayal organisations on this matter has been amateurish. To the best of our knowledge, instead of presenting solid facts to backup Kayalpatnam's claims, these organisations had reduced the issue to one of using their personal influences with the politicians. They seem to have forgotten - if Kayalpatnam can flex its muscle, so can other towns with railway stations. For a politician to grant a stoppage for Kayalpatnam and not for Arumuganeri or Kurumbur (purely on the basis of requests received from the people of Kayalpatnam) would have been suicidal. What seems to have happened now is that the politician has used the escape route: no stoppage in Kayalpatnam, no stoppage in Arumuganeri, no stoppage in Kurumbur!

Beginning in April 2007, through a series of enquiries using the Right to Information Act, Kayalpatnam.com ferreted out a load of information pertaining to Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli sector and the ongoing gauge conversion works. Click here to view them.

We learnt - for example - that Kayalpatnam was being given only a low-level platform whose height would make it difficult for people to board the train. At the same time, some other stations, in the same category as Kayalpatnam was, were being given medium-level and high-level platforms. [After these facts came out, we understand, Southern Railway has turned the low-level platform to a medium-level platform in Kayalpatnam].

We also learnt that - among the 11 stations after Tirunelveli in the sector, Kayalpatnam stood third in terms of passenger usage (April - December 2006). Only Tiruchendur and Nazareth stations had more passengers using them. In terms of revenue generated, if you leave out the revenue generated by Tiruchendur through the Computerised Reservation System, Kayalpatnam stood second - following Nazareth! Compare - for example - revenue generated by Srivaikundam for the given period - with the revenue generated by Kayalpatnam: it was Rs.10 lakhs for Srivaikundam, against Kayalpatnam's Rs.26 lakhs! Tiruchendur's was close to Rs.25 lakhs!

Add to these the fact that Kayalpatnam is the only municipality on this route! We had a open and shut case!

This brings us to the question - what next? With elections round the corner, we may still get the politicians intervene and grant a stoppage for Kayalpatnam (along with stoppages for some other stations). The ministry may also choose to treat the Express train as an Express train up to Tirunelveli and may decide to provide stoppages - if not to all, at least to most of the stations thereafter.

The Minister of State for Railways, Mr.R.Velu is quoted as having said the Express train wouldn't stop in Kayalpatnam - since it is too close to Tiruchendur. That is nonsense. We know Pearl City Express stops at Milavittan and Tutimelur which are at distances of 8 kms and 2 kms from Tuticorin station respectively. One can easily get a list of other trains that stop at much smaller intervals. There are no hard and fast rules here, there is enough discretionary power for the officials to decide.

As Kayalpatnam keeps its fingers crossed to learn whether indeed the Express train would stop in Kayalpatnam, it is also time we resolved to ourselves - when we have facts on our side, we should be seeking no favours! Let the facts speak!!