More stops, slower trains during election season

CHENNAI: Railway officials' concerns of average speed and punctuality go out of the window in election season when deciding on proposals for additional stops for popular mail and express trains. This time around it's no different. Sources in Southern Railway said around 15 additional stops have been allotted in the last few weeks and a few more are likely in the coming days, before the model code of conduct kicks in.

These stops are in small towns or villages where the number of passengers is usually too low to merit halting a mail or express train. Railway officials say that requests for halts keep pouring in through the year, almost on a daily basis, especially from politicians or politically linked passenger associations. MPs even use the floor of parliament to demand train stops. Railway officials resist citing punctuality, as superfast trains have to maintain an average speed of 55 kmph.

"With the elections nearing, every member of parliament (MP) wants to show it as an achievement that he has got an express train stop in the constituency. It's a big deal," said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

For instance on Monday, Southern Railway announced that the popular Chennai-Bengaluru Brindavan Express would stop at Sholinghur station in Vellore district. This is a stronghold of the PMK, new ally of the BJP. The stop raised eyebrows as SR is yet to accede to stops for Tiruvallur for many trains, despite it being a district headquarters.

Nayadupeta, which falls in Nellore district bordering Chennai, was added as a stop for six months for the popular Chennai Central-Vijayawada Janshatabdi Express. The district is hometown of Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu .

There are guidelines with the railway's commercial department on which stations can be included as new halts. A senior railway official said it is based on the number of tickets sold (and thereby earnings) over a period of time.

The official said that this time around the number of stops being allotted was not much. "When there was a railway minister from Tamil Nadu , one additional stop was given almost everyday," the official said.