MADURAI: Many business stakeholders and industrialists demand Vande Bharat train, scheduled to have its inaugural run on August 31 between Chennai and Nagercoil and vice versa, be stopped at Virudhunagar, SVSS Velshankar, the president of Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association Limited, Madurai said on Friday.

Thanking the union government for the additional rail service of Vande Bharat, he said the government should ensure the stoppage of these trains at Virudhunagar station.

Highlighting that Virudhunagar is emerging as a potential trade centre, and Sivakasi, located 25 kilometres from Virudhunagar, is a major centre of fireworks and safety match production and offset printing in India, he said it is disappointing that there’s no stoppage between Madurai and Kovilpatti.

S Lakshmanan, president, of the Matches Manufacturing Association, Sattur said with several industries, Virudhunagar district generates more revenue and merchants would prefer the train to flight.