MADURAI: Tuticorin District Passengers Welfare Association has welcomed the introduction of a bi-weekly express train to Mettupalayam.

On Wednesday, M Pirammanayagam, secretary of the association, thanked Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishanaw and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who raised her voice in the parliament session on the need for this rail service.

Several years ago in 2011, Thoothukudi-Coimbatore Link Express train service was functional and it was the only train for Coimbatore from Thoothukudi.

But during the COVID lockdown, the train service was suspended, he recalled.

Now, the bi-weekly train is scheduled to depart from Thoothukudi railway station at 10.50 pm, on July 20 (Saturday).

However, the inaugural run will be on July 19 (Friday) from Metuupalayam and will be flagged off by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan.

The train will run on Thursdays and Saturdays from Thoothukudi and return journey from Mettupalayam will be on Saturdays and Mondays.

The train will stop at Kovilpatti, Sattur, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Oddanchatram, Palani, Udumalpet, Pollachim Kinathukadavu and Coimbatore before reaching its destination.