Local train observations:
These are merely observations rather than judgements. In truth, I find nowadays it's very hard to judge something or someone without knowing much. I am a rare traveller of a local train in Chennai. One of the known local train in Chennai is Chengalpattu to Chennai beach. I am rare to this train as I travel once a while to main parts of Chennai. This train helps a lot of people for job purposes, schools and colleges.
Vendors and villagers are common in the train too. It's crowded most of the time. Sometimes to the point, none can breathe. ESP if you are caught in the train in office going or leaving hours, then some amount of energy is considerably needed to stand in the crowd and come out alive.
These types of trains are mostly available in big cities of India. Chennai has its own important local train. If someone is a Chennai dweller, then they will mostly know a lot about this train. Just few minutes back, I read an article regarding this local train how it's started initially.
Let me share the important lines I found in the Hindu article from 2016.
On April 2, 1931, the first electrically-operated railway service between Madras Beach and Tambaram was launched by Sir George Fredrick Stanley, the then governor of Madras.
The newly-inaugurated rail road happened to be the earliest metre gauge to be electrified in the country. It was only a month after the official inauguration that the service was opened to the public on May 11, 1931.
The plan to electrify railway lines in Madras however was not new. Sir Percy Rothera, an agent of the South Indian Railways, had foreseen the need for such a service way back in 1923.
The number of trains shuttling passengers was increased to 45 a day, running every 10 minutes at peak hours, and every 30 minutes, otherwise.
The running time between Madras Beach and Tambaram, which previously took 2 hours, was now covered in merely 49 minutes.
Moreover, commuters could avail of the train service from 4 in the morning right up to 12 at night.
On December 27, 1930, the authorities received their first consignment of 25 electric carriages from England. Painted a dull green with a black wheel base, the new carriages were parked in Tambaram station.
Boasting of wide sliding doors, a well-designed seating arrangement, and thick glass fronts, the new trains promised comfortable travel.
The governor, at the opening ceremony, is reported to have said that the new service would transform ‘desolate south Madras into burgeoning garden cities’.
Partially prophetic that: Chennai is certainly burgeoning now, garden or not.
These are the informations I found in the article. It's credit goes to Hindu.
This article is a great hint to tell us how a local train helps a lot for a place to flourish. Travelling increases movement. Wherever there is a movement, businesses can grow as people move from one place to another. This local train helps a lot of people to go for jobs they aimed for. Chennai City. These types of short journey increases friendships between people without much effort. A man is catching up with his old friend after some years. His face is so happy to look at his old friend. There is a great beauty in short travels.
As I am a rare person to use this train, I used to be observing more than normal whenever I travel. One day, I caught this train in Tambaram, I went to Tambaram ticket counter and took regular ticket and climbed the stairs, went to the platform 4. Platform 4 is the place for Chengalpattu train. Slowly I moved around platform 4. I went to the shop near and bought 10 rupees tea to refresh myself as I travelled 4 hours continuously before entering Tambaram railway station. There are 2 shops in platform 4. As far I know, platform 1 is known for many shops. As usual, I walked in the platform as the train didn't come yet. Here, I found a old age man who is confused, standing on the way. I couldn't keep myself off that moment, thinking his old age can create loss of direction. He asked him about it and he narrated he doesn't know how to go back home. I asked him back, how you will go usually. In which train? He replied, I go by bus to home. Then I directed him little about how to go for bus stand. Then I reached a place where ladies coach comes. However, I observed that man didn't go as per I directed either. As usual, I got a doubt as a normal woman. What he is upto? This time, I made sure to raise my voice and told him to move towards another end to go for bus stand. I don't like to conclude anything about him but certain behaviours are doubtful. This incident is nothing when compared to many incidents I encountered. In that moment, I was uncertain about his intentions and behaviours. Yet I didn't avoid him rather I confronted him by making myself secure inside. After sometime later, he left to catch the bus.
Then I sat next to a day, as I got a mood to converse with others. I ended up asking her, are you regular in this train? casually. That woman got cautious next moment and looked at me like I am a kidnapper. I laughed inside, I saw myself in her. I am afraid of others intentions more than needed. She left the place and sat away from me. Two minutes, I felt this inside, that's the moment I understood men's feelings whenever women distrust them. Few months back, one of my close people commented, nowadays men fear women. They fear every second, They don't like to be a creep at the end of the day by some women. [ Ofcourse, we women suffered a lot due to men] But is it right to judge entire entire men generation as bad? Sometimes we fear men too much. They fear us too much. This is creating such a division in today's society in which most humans prefer to be single, never mingle with opposite gender etc.
In this moment, I thought why can't I experience how is normal coach in local train . I know ladies coach a lot. As a lady, I thought to go and explore normal coach which is filled with men. I wanted to know the truth more, are men that unsafe? Are those men kill a lady? Are men that bad? After all, lots of women empowerment is not helping. Women empowerment is needed, but we can't create a society where women have voice and men don't. Let me tell you here, bad men exists, just like bad women exists. We can't trust another. But are you secure enough inside within yourself? Then you will feel secure enough in front of terrorist.
Safety and security for women or men comes from inside. We develop outside security as a result of inner security. There is no need to fear unnecessarily based on past experiences. That keeps us in the suffering loop too long. We suffer, We suppress ourselves, we never get a moment to enjoy a simple local train journey.
In normal coaches, I felt the same safety like how I used to feel around women. Nothing changed. I changed that day as a human being and woman. I became more brave that moment despite all my past experiences. That gave me such a happiness. Its releasing the suppressed self. Every man and woman has this inside. Let's experience world differently by changing ourselves.
Chennai beach to chengalpattu local train route:
Station Arr Dep Dist.PF [first train timings]
1Chennai Beach JnFirst 03.55 0
2Chennai Fort 03.58 03.59 2
3Chennai Park 04.01 04.02 3
4Chennai Egmore 04.04 04.05 4
5Chennai Chetpat 04.07 04.08 6
6Nungambakkam 04.10 04.11 8
7Kodambakkam 04.12 04.13 10
8Mambalam 04.14 04.15 12
9Saidapet 04.17 04.18 14
10Guindy 04.20 04.21 16
11St Thomas Mount 04.23 04.24 18
12Palavantangal 04.26 04.27 20
13Minambakkam 04.29 04.30 21
14Tirusulam 04.31 04.32 22
15Pallavaram 04.34 04.35 24
16Chromepet 04.37 04.38 26
17Tambaram Sanatorium 04.40 04.41 28
18Tambaram 04.49 04.50 30
19Perungalalattur 04.55 04.56 33
20Vandalur 04.58 04.59 35
21Urappakkam 05.02 05.03 38
22Guduvancheri 05.06 05.07 41
23Potheri 05.10 05.11 45
24Kattangulatur 05.13 05.14 47
25Maraimalai Nagar Kamarajar05.15 05.16 48
26Singaperumalkoil 05.20 05.21 52
27Paranur 05.25 05.26 56
28Chengalpattu Jn 05.35 Last 60
