Deserted station makes no difference to railways

CHENNAI: Most people who come in to shop at Ranganathan Street use the EMU service and alight at Mambalam station. Besides being a heavy residential stop, the station is usually crowded for most part of the day, courtesy the shoppers. However, the last three days have seen a drop in the number of shoppers coming in through the rail network, which means that the station was reasonably empty during the day.While officials at the station agreed that mid-day ticket sales were down, the railway authorities maintained that there was “no significant difference” in the number of commuters. Auto drivers though, have migrated to Panagal Park due to a dip in shoppers, especially those who purchase vessels, which means that hardly anyone required their service.