VASCO: Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Girish Borker flagged off special train to Vailankanni feast from the Vasco railway station on Sunday night.
Mormugao councillors, devotees and citizens were present at the occasion. The train departed the Vasco railway station at 10.15 pm on Sunday as the departure was delayed due to ongoing works along the tracks in certain sections.
Many devotees were seen boarding the Vailankanni-bound train and greeting co-passengers as the special train with 24 sleeper compartments departed the railway station.
The Mormugao chairperson thanked the efforts of Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, who he said, was instrumental in ensuring that devotees be offered all convenience for the pilgrimage through the special train service by the South Western Railway (SWR).
Borker said that the Vasco-Vailankanni train will cater to all the devotees, who are attending the novenas and the annual feast of Our Lady of Good Health at Vailankanni. He said that the Vasco MLA and large number of devotees had submitted a memorandum to the SWR authorities requesting them to start the special train service for their convenience and to also to clear the extra rush of pilgrims with a request to halt the train for two days so that the pilgrims get adequate time to attend the novenas and offer prayers to the holy shrine in Vailankanni.
Borker said that the SWR authorities have been further requested to run additional trains with additional coaches bogies so that more pilgrims can be accommodated and meet the demand of pilgrims from across the State.
