Madurai’s first MEMU train turns boon for Diwali crowd

04 Nov 2024 CW Team

With bus fares spiking on the last day of the Diwali holiday, many, like Chennai-based commuter L S Ajay, found the MEMU superfast special from Tambaram to Madurai and back to be a welcome solution. Ajay, who initially reserved a private bus ticket for Rs 2,000, opted to cancel it and instead travel by the MEMU train for Rs 170. He noted that the train's availability was a relief, given the soaring demand for transportation.

Madurai Junction was bustling with passengers from the morning. V Mariskumar observed that without the MEMU service, returning to Chennai would have been an arduous experience, as often happens after Diwali each year. To manage the large crowds, Railway Protection Force personnel, in collaboration with the Government Railway Police, sought MEMU trains this season, following significant challenges with the Diwali crowd in the previous year.

According to V Prasanna, the senior divisional operations manager, the 12-rake MEMU was sourced from Avadi due to low demand in Chennai that day. He explained that the availability of rolling stock and crew is essential to operating these special services. Foreseeing an exceptionally high number of passengers, the division set up a war room at the divisional railway office, deploying 13 special trains towards Chennai to accommodate the Diwali crowd. Divisional railway manager Sharad Srivastava noted that the MEMU plan proved effective.

The introduction of regular MEMU services in Madurai has been a long-standing demand. Rail user Arun Pandian from Chennai added that a single MEMU train can carry the equivalent of 30 busloads of passengers, making it an economical mode of transport. He praised Southern Railway’s decision to operate the MEMU service during the festival period and expressed hope that festival MEMU specials might become regular services until the division establishes its own MEMU fleet.

For the first time in Madurai's railway history, a Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train operated in and out of the junction, providing vital relief to nearly 1,000 passengers looking to return to Chennai after Diwali. The Madurai railway division is currently the only division without regular MEMU services, a feature that rail users have long advocated for. With bus fares spiking on the last day of the Diwali holiday, many, like Chennai-based commuter L S Ajay, found the MEMU superfast special from Tambaram to Madurai and back to be a welcome solution. Ajay, who initially reserved a private bus ticket for Rs 2,000, opted to cancel it and instead travel by the MEMU train for Rs 170. He noted that the train's availability was a relief, given the soaring demand for transportation. Madurai Junction was bustling with passengers from the morning. V Mariskumar observed that without the MEMU service, returning to Chennai would have been an arduous experience, as often happens after Diwali each year. To manage the large crowds, Railway Protection Force personnel, in collaboration with the Government Railway Police, sought MEMU trains this season, following significant challenges with the Diwali crowd in the previous year. According to V Prasanna, the senior divisional operations manager, the 12-rake MEMU was sourced from Avadi due to low demand in Chennai that day. He explained that the availability of rolling stock and crew is essential to operating these special services. Foreseeing an exceptionally high number of passengers, the division set up a war room at the divisional railway office, deploying 13 special trains towards Chennai to accommodate the Diwali crowd. Divisional railway manager Sharad Srivastava noted that the MEMU plan proved effective. The introduction of regular MEMU services in Madurai has been a long-standing demand. Rail user Arun Pandian from Chennai added that a single MEMU train can carry the equivalent of 30 busloads of passengers, making it an economical mode of transport. He praised Southern Railway’s decision to operate the MEMU service during the festival period and expressed hope that festival MEMU specials might become regular services until the division establishes its own MEMU fleet.

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