Arakkonam works wreak havoc on students’ future

CHENNAI: The ordeal for passengers, travelling between Chennai and Arakkonam stretch continued for the fourth day as trains were delayed or cancelled without any notice. The worst affected were NEET aspirants who had travelled from Kerala and other parts of Tamil Nadu as all express trains on the Katpadi—Arakkonam—Chennai section were delayed by three to five hours. Similarly, TNPSC applicants from Tiruttani, Arakkonam and nearby villages, who were travelling to Chennai to take the lab assistant examinations faced difficulties as railways cancelled special EMU services between Arakkonam and Thiruvalankadu.

The Mangaluru — Chennai Central Express reached the Central station at 10.45 am, five hours and five minutes later than scheduled. As result, a student from Malappuram could not take the NEET exam at Royapettah. Arakkonam locals failed to reach the venue in time for the lab assistant exams at Adyar. The cancellation of train services and train delays were attributed to yard upgradation work at Arakkonam, which began on April 20.

The works are being carried out for over two years. It is argued that Railways could have arranged for alternative modes of transport such as additional bus services and loco reversal arrangement at Tiruttani. “On April 20, officials hoodwinked passengers by giving incomplete details over the cancellation of trains,”, said S Nalini, a TNPSC applicant.