CHENNAI: Though the Southern Railway is in the process of replacing conventional rakes with MEMU (mainline electrical multiple units) rakes, as most of the routes are electrified now, most of the MEMU trains are operated without toilet facilities.
Recently, Train 06033/06034 Beach to Vellore cantonment was extended up to Tiruvannamalai. The journey time is 6 hours, which implies the provision of toilet in every coach.
The lack of toilets is a problem for everyone especially women, children, and people with diabetes. All MEMU rakes running for more than 2 hours must be operated with toilets. In a few MEMU rakes in the Chennai division, toilet facilities are available but are not properly maintained, said Y Jayapaulraj, secretary, Consumer Federation of Tiruvallur District. In Southern Railway, the MEMU with 8 cars should be converted to 12 cars.
The Rail Passengers Association has been demanding toilet facilities in the MEMU trains for a long time. There is a rule by the Railway that any train that runs for over 2 hours must have toilet facilities. These facilities must be provided before extending the services, said Naina Masilamani, president, Arakkonam Rail Passengers Association.
When contacted, a senior SR official said, New MEMU trains come with one toilet per coach. When the old trains get replaced, there is a chance that they would have toilet facilities.