The LHB coaches offer better passenger comfort, especially in long-distance high-speed trains.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nagapattinam, has requested the Southern Railway to replace the old ICF coaches in Velankanni-Chennai Egmore Express (16175/16176) and Karaikal – Ernakulam Express (16187/16188) with LHB coaches. The existing ICF coaches should be replaced to improve passenger convenience, the trade body said.
A memorandum containing this demand and a couple of others was sent by chamber president G. Manoharan and secretary A.S. N. Suresh to the Southern Railway General Manager recently. The chamber has requested the Southern Railway to introduce a daily morning unreserved express train from Madurai to Thirunallar via Dindigul, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Nagore, and Karaikal. A corresponding afternoon service from Thirunallar to Madurai Junction may be introduced on the same route.
The chamber said for the past 25 years there has been no direct train service connecting Madurai with Nagapattinam and Nagore. As a result, a large number of devotees and passengers from Velankanni, Nagapattinam, Nagore, ,Karaikal and Thirunallar are compelled to travel by road causing hardship particularly to senior citizens, patients, women, and children. The introduction of this long awaited service would provide a direct rail connectivity between Madurai and the pilgrimage centres of Thirunallar, Karaikal, Nagore and Nagapattinam.
The Chamber has requested a daily day time express train between Tambaram and Velankanni via Mayiladuthurai, Peralam, Thirunallar, Karaikal, Nagore and Nagapattinam. A corresponding service from Velankanni to Tambaram may be introduced, it added.
Published – August 21, 2026 06:03 pm IST
