Members of Thoothukudi People’s Welfare Federation staging a demonstration in front of the railway station on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: RAJESH N
Members of the Thoothukudi People’s Welfare Federation staged a protest in front of the Thoothukudi Railway Station on Thursday, urging the authorities to restore the separate signalling system at the railway gates to prevent unnecessary and frequent closure of the second gate in the city.
As the railway line divides Thoothukudi city into two parts, four railway level crossings have been developed for the public movement across the tracks. Of these, only the third railway gate has a railway overbridge. The remaining three level crossings are closed whenever trains pass, resulting in severe traffic congestion.
The first and second railway gates are used daily by thousands of commuters, school students, traders and emergency vehicles. Earlier, these two gates operated under separate signalling systems. However, they have now been brought under a common signalling system.
The protestors demanded that the common signalling system be withdrawn and earlier separate signalling systems be restored immediately. They added that the current system has led to prolonged traffic congestion during peak hours, causing inconvenience for commuters and students.
The protestors further said that the second railway gate was closed unnecessarily whenever locomotives were shunted within the station yard, leading to unnecessary closure of the second gate.
Published – July 30, 2026 07:12 pm IST
