Scheduled special trains open for all passengers resumed here on Monday.
While Madurai-Villupuram special train left the station at 7 a.m., another special train from Tiruchi bound for Nagercoil passed through Madurai at 8.15 a.m.
Though the schedule of the two trains were announced two days back, the announcement of e-pass continuing to be mandatory for passengers going from one zone to another one caught many passengers unawares.
However, revenue officials set up special facilitation centres at the railway stations in Madurai, Virudhunagar and Dindigul, to help the passengers get e-passes.
At Madurai, a handful of village administrative officers were deployed to generate e-passes for the passengers using their mobile phones.
“Since, the announcement came late in the night, not all passengers had the e-pass. We are either generating e-pass or helping the passengers register themselves for the e-pass with the hope that they would get the pass by the time they reach their destinations,” an official said.
This is only a temporary arrangement and hereafter e-pass would be made mandatory on the part of the passengers to board the trains, he added.
At Virudhungar, passengers who came from Tiruchi without e-pass were made to give their details like name, address, Aadhaar card number and mobile number before they were allowed to get out of the railway station.
On the first day, the trains had only moderate crowd of passengers travelling.
Southern Railway has advised the passengers to arrive at least 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time to the station so that they could be screened with thermal scanners.
Only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the trains. Masks have been made mandatory for the passengers.
Only passengers with confirmed tickets are allowed to enter the station.
Passengers have been advised to bring their own food items from home.
Train timings:
Train No.02636 Madurai- Villupuram Intercity superfast special will leave Madurai at 7 a.m., Dindigul at 8 a..m., Tiruchi at 9.15 a.m., Ariyalur at 10.10 a.m. and reach Villupuram at 12.05 p.m, a statement said.
Train No.02635 Villupuram - Madurai Intercity superfast special will leave Villupuram at 4 p.m., Ariyalur at 5.25 p.m., Tiruchi at 6.40 p.m., Dindigul at 8.05 p.m. and arrive at Madurai at 9.20 p.m.
Nagercoil-Tiruchi special:
Train No.02627 Tiruchi– Nagercoil superfast special will leave Tiruchi at 6 a.m., Dindigul at 7.15 a.m., Madurai at 8.15 a.m., Virudhunagar at 8.57 a.m., Tirunelveli at 11.10 a.m..and reach Nagecoil at 1 p.m..
Train No.02628 Nagercoil- Tiruchi Superfast special will leave Nagercoil at 3 p.m., Tirunelveli at 4.25 p.m. Virudhunagar at 6.25 p.m. Madurai at 7.25 p.m. and reach Tiruchi at 10.15 a.m.