Despite Serving 2.5 Lakh Passengers Annually, This Tamil Nadu Railway Station Still Has No Reservation Counter

In a generation where train tickets can be booked with just a few taps and online websites, people of Polur in Tamil Nadu and nearby areas like Kalasapakkam and Jawadhu Hills still travel around 70-80 km to Vellore or Tiruvannamalai to book a railway ticket. Want to know more about it? Read on!

Polur Locals Request Authorities To Build PRS

As per a report by the Indian Express, Locals have requested that Southern Railway build a Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter at Polur railway station, stating that the absence of the facility impacts passengers from more than 40 rural and tribal villages. Currently, a Station Ticket Booking Agent (STBA) operates at the station, who only issues unreserved tickets. Even though Polur station was renovated under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2025, residents still point out that it lacks a PRS counter.

A government school teacher from Jamunamarathur in Jawadhu Hills, K Karthik, told the portal that the absence of a reservation counter causes inconvenience to the residents. Karthik stated that train tickets, particularly Tatkal tickets, are often sold out within minutes, making timely booking crucial. However, poor network connectivity in the Jawadhu Hills makes online reservations difficult. As a result, he often has to rely on friends living in areas with better connectivity to book tickets on his behalf. Karthik added that some of his colleagues are also forced to travel to Jolarpet, nearly 50–60 km away, just to book train tickets.

Meanwhile, another resident of the Polur area stated that R. Subakrisha said the situation is especially challenging for people living in remote parts of the Jawadhu Hills and residents of tribal communities, many of whom either face poor internet connectivity or are not familiar with online ticket booking. He said that the residents from at least four taluks, like Kalasapakkam, Polur, Jawadhu Hills, and Arni, are affected by the lack of a reservation counter.

Polur Railway Station Handles Hundreds Of Passengers Daily

According to an RTI reply from Southern Railway back on April 27, 2026, Polur railway station saw an annual footfall of 2,51,310 travellers and an average daily visitor count of 689 during the 2025-26 financial year. The station also earned an annual income of ₹83.4 lakh, with an average daily revenue of ₹22,851. However, these numbers are far lower than those of Tiruvannamalai railway station, which saw an annual visitor count of 31,69,253 passengers and revenue of ₹22.77 crore in 2025-26.

Also Read: Is There A Spit Box At A Mumbai Metro Station? Viral Video Leaves Netizens Divided

If reports are to be believed, the demand for a PRS counter at Polur has reportedly not been raised by MPs on behalf of the Arani constituency during Southern Railway’s annual dispute resolution meetings.

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Cover Image Courtesy: Internal

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