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Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
Passengers demand daily service for Thiruvananthapuram north to Tambaram express via Punalur
Thiruvananthapuram: Rail passenger associations and frequent travellers want the railways to make the Thiruvananthapuram North to Tambaram AC Express (06035/06036) via Punalur and Sengottai a daily regular service. It is currently operated as a special train on Sundays from Thiruvananthapuram to cater to the busy special train was introduced a year ago. It was extended during the Onam festival or Ganesh Chaturthi festival and is now being run for summer holidays. The train is highly popular and the reservation status is on the waitlist on most days. The train is full for the next three is one of the oldest services that used to run during the metre gauge days. It was discontinued when the Kollam to Sengottai route was closed for gauge conversion. Dipu Ravi of the Kollam-Sengottai Railway Passengers Association said, "Initially, on an experimental basis, the train had four trips, but the unprecedented demand made railways extend the service covering summer months also."The railways also increased the number of coaches from 15 to 18 and the train takes around 16 hours to reach Tambaram along one of the shortest routes between the two cities. Passenger associations based in TN and Kerala submitted requests to MPs and railway officials urging them to make it a regular service, he J of Friends on Rails said the special train is a much-needed option for people to travel between the two capital cities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Making history: These 5 timepieces set world records at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 CNA Read More Undo "It will be good if railways can make it into a regular service. There is a huge demand. The number of trains between the cities is not adequate. Therefore, we are seeing a rush on special trains."In addition to the trains via Palghat, the route via Nagercoil is also popular because it is by far the shortest route and passengers can reach Chennai in around 12.15 hours. However, the Kollam-Punalur-Sengottai route opened another option and also helps to cater to the people of the region to travel to Chennai.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Middle berth fall puts passenger safety at risk
T'puram: The accident in which a woman was injured after a middle berth fell on her in the MGR Chennai Central-Palakkad express train on Monday shows the poor maintenance of fixtures in accident occurred after the train passed Jolarpet railway station. The middle berth fell on the passenger who was in the lower berth, and she suffered injuries to her head. Reports say that the accident happened when the passenger in the middle berth got down to go to the toilet. The chain fastening the berth was loose, and it fell on the girl in the lower berth. She was made to disembark at Salem and was admitted to a govt J from Friends on Rails, an association of railway passengers, said the chain does not fit well often. "In many cases, the passenger has to be careful when installing the middle berth. The Railways should also check all the chains of the berths before a train is prepared for a trip."Meanwhile, the southern railway blamed the passengers for the accident, saying that it happened due to improper handling of the chain-link hook by the passenger. The statement issued by the railway authorities also says that primary maintenance involving thorough scrutiny of the coaches was carried out and a fitness certificate was issued for the train. However, passengers often find many fixtures in the coaches on most trains non-functional, despite the coaches undergoing pre-departure maintenance checks. The charging port, toilet doors, latches of toilets, and the waste bin below the washbasins are often not in good condition in most of the trains, including those that have Linke Hofmann Busch coaches."Rather than blaming passengers, Railways should ensure that fixtures are in good condition. I often found the chain loose when the berth is folded up, but it becomes secure when a passenger gets on it," said Kavya Menon, a regular Railways tried out different designs to ensure that the chain that holds the middle berth remains stable. But constant use often makes them loose. These chains are not replaced till the coaches are sent for periodic overhaul, as it's not easy to get the same type of said that pre-departure checks are supposed to ensure all fixtures are in order but these checks may not be thorough due to a reduction in staff allocated per rake for this work. In an accident last June, a passenger had died after a middle berth fell on him in an Ernakulam-Nizamuddin railway has requested passengers to securely fasten the middle berth using the chain link hook after use. Improper handling or failure to lock the berth correctly may pose safety risks to fellow passengers, a statement said.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cashless payment yet to gain acceptance in city buses
Thiruvananthapuram: Though cashless transactions have become more or less the norm, private buses in the city are yet to accept digital payments using UPI. KSRTC city service buses have the facility on the handheld ticket machines used by conductors, but commuters hardly know about it. This often becomes an inconvenience for commuters who struggle to get small change in crowded of the private buses do not have upgraded ticket machines that can show QR codes and some staff do not have smartphones. "In some private buses, the crew accept UPI payments on their phones. In others, the conductor has a ticketing machine that displays a QR code for UPI payments. However, commuters need to ask for the UPI payment option," said P Vasudevan, a commuter.A conductor in a private bus that plies via Kowdiar said that he does not have a smartphone and the management has not provided a facility. "We prefer cash. It is fast for us," he added. In another bus, conductors who previously accepted digital payments have started refusing them to avoid the hassle of processing transactions on their personal phones and accounting for them in the day's collection.C Jose, a commuter, said the bus owners can offer a QR code to the crew. Liyons J from Friends on Rails said, "Cashless is the norm. But it is not publicized on transport buses. Railways too introduced it only recently. The employees may fear that they will lose their jobs if UPI payments become popular."He said that the govt should insist that transport buses should have QR codes or QR code-enabled ticket machines. A senior bank official said that a current account is all that is needed to activate digital payments in commercial mode. There is a nominal fee, he KSRTC city buses have UPI, commuters need to inform the conductor in advance that they will be using UPI. "By habit, the conductors don't expect someone to pay by UPI," said Jose. UPI processed Rs 23.49 lakh crore across 16.58 billion financial transactions in Oct 2024, marking a 45% year-on-year growth from 11.40 billion transactions in Oct 2023. Around 632 banks are connected to the platform, says a statement from a time when UPI is getting popular, the hesitation to embrace a convenient payment option by the bus operators in the city is posing a huge hassle to commuters.
