Commuters of short distance passenger trains have warned of protest, citing how a large number of passengers are unable to reach their workplaces and homes in time, since their trains are being detained to make way for the newly launched Vande Bharat Express through Alappuzha.
They attributed it to the delay in doubling the 69-km track between Ambalapuzha and Ernakulam and non-availability of automatic signals which would have improved track capacity.
Friends on Rails, a conclave of commuters who travel mainly in the Kollam-Alappuzha-Ernakulam corridor, said the daily schedule of tens of hundreds of regular commuters had been thrown into disarray since express trains too were being detained for 20 to 40 minutes to make way for the Vande Bharat Express. Citing an example, its secretary Liyons J. said the Ernakulam-Kayamkulam train that started from Ernakulam at 6.05 p.m. was often detained at Kumbalam for 40 minutes. This apart, the operating schedule of the Nagercoil-Kottayam passenger train, Ernad Express, and Palaruvi Express too had been affected, while Venad Express was rescheduled.
All this has resulted in commuters having to board trains well ahead of time. Yet another problem, especially for women, was that they found it difficult to catch buses and autos to reach home after late evening hours. While introducing faster trains, the Railways must make timely changes in norms regarding season tickets and provide alternative trains for short-distance commuters. The affected commuters might launch an agitation, he added.
Bindu Vayalar, executive committee member of the organisation and a resident of Thuravur, said office-goers and other women often found it tough to catch buses to reach home after work owing to delayed running of trains through Alappuzha.
The detention of many trains through Alappuzha to make way for the Vande Bharat Express had in turn catalysed works to double the track and to straighten curves, said Paul Manvettom, president of All Kerala Railway Users’ Association. “Apart from track doubling, automatic signalling system could be tried out in busy corridors to avoid detention. This would be crucial since the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express and a second Vande Bharat Express through Kottayam are next in line,” he added.
