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Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Commuters demand additional Memu service via Kottayam to T'puram
T'puram: Commuters who travel between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram are demanding that the railways introduce a Memu service in the evening towards Thiruvananthapuram to ease passenger congestion. This will also help commuters who board and disembark at enroute stations like Kottayam. The evening Memu service to Kollam is packed because the frequency of trains in the evening to the state capital is low. Liyons J of Friends on Rails said, "Despite the benefits of a double track, passengers from Kottayam are struggling with just eight coaches in the evening. After the Kollam Memu at 5.40pm passes, regular commuters rely on the Venad Express, which arrives in Kottayam packed. After the afternoon Parasuram, the next service from Tripunithura, an IT hub, towards Thiruvananthapuram is the Venad, three hours later. This long gap causes uncontrolled congestion in the Memu from Kottayam. " Friends on Rails demanded a train towards Thiruvananthapuram after 3pm to alleviate the woes of people who travel via Kottayam. The demand for a Memu service in the afternoon via Kottayam has been longstanding. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These 11 Everyday Foods Might Be the Key to Knee Pain Relief Undo Women and students travel daily from Ernakulam and Tripunithura to Kottayam, packed tightly, even in stairways and toilet corridors, Liyons added. Additionally, with limited stops, passengers rely more on Kerala Express at 5pm and Venad Express at 5.20pm, leading to heavy congestion on these trains. The absence of trains towards Thiruvananthapuram after the Venad forces passengers from Tripunithura into precarious travel situations. After the Parasuram at 15.28pm from Kottayam, travellers to Changanassery, Thiruvalla, Mavelikkara, Karunagappally and all halt stations rely solely on the 5.40pm Kottayam - Kollam Memu. But it has fewer coaches and is crowded, he said. "A 16-car ICF passenger rake Kumbh is now available at Kollam Junction. Old ICF rakes from trains like the Velankanni Express, now upgraded to modern LHB coaches, are lying at various division stations. These can be used for running additional services," Liyons said. J Emma, a regular commuter, said more trains are required to meet the demands of commuter traffic. "The trains are also slow as they have to make way for express services," she said. The railways is tweaking operations to add more services and improve speed, but the line congestion is too high between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
New Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Too many halts hamper train speed upgrade on Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam stretch: Railways
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Excessive stops of several trains are posing a hindrance to increasing the top speed on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam stretch to 110 kmph. MPs and MLAs continue to press for additional halts, undermining the efforts of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division, according to sources with Southern Railways. While trains like Vande Bharat to Kasaragod and Mangaluru have the advantage of higher speeds, others such as Venad Express, with 19 halts, Thiruvananthapuram-Guruvayur Intercity, with 14 halts, and Vanchinad Express, with 17, run at an average speed of just 45-50 kmph between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. Other trains with over 10 stops on the stretch also struggle to cross this speed range. 'Reducing stops is not feasible, as it would spark protests by elected representatives and local associations. Our engineering team in Thiruvananthapuram is working on ways to increase the speed of trains with over 10 stops without cutting down the number of halts,' a senior railway official said. Many senior officials admitted that political leaders often view new stops as a matter of pride, especially ahead of elections. A retired divisional railway manager echoed the concern, noting that Vande Bharat trains can currently run at a speed of 100-110 kmph only because they have fewer stops. 'If more halts are added, those trains will lose their edge. Allocation of more stoppages remains a chronic issue in Southern Railways,' he said.
New Indian Express
26-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Man held for attempting to assault student on train in Thrissur
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A man has been taken into custody for allegedly attempting to assault a female student on a train. The survivor is a native of Thiruvananthapuram and a law college student in Thrissur. The accused, identified as Satheesh from Vattiyoorkavu, was booked by the police. The incident happened on Friday night on the Venad Express. According to the complaint, the attempted assault took place near Varkala while the train was en route from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram. The student alerted the railway police and officers reached the train at Thampanoor station and held the accused. The student alleged that the man tried to grope her and behaved in an indecent manner.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- The Hindu
Changing maintenance slot of Sabari to Thiruvananthapuram to hit interest of passengers in Kerala
The Southern Central Railway's (SCR) move to shift the primary maintenance of the Secunderabad–Trivandrum–Secunderabad Sabari Express from Telangana to Thiruvananthapuram will affect the interest of passengers from Kerala. According to Thomas Simon, General Secretary, Western India Passengers' Association, the scarce maintenance slots available in the Thiruvananthapuram Southern Railway division would be usurped by the changes suggested by the SCR. The rakes were hitherto maintained by SCR. At present, four rakes are being used by the railway to hold the Secunderabad-Thiruvananthapuram service. The railway can operate the 17230 / 17229 Sabari Express (1,555 kms one way) on a PFTR (Platform Turn Round) basis with a reduced running time of 25/26 hours at a minimum average speed of 60 kmph. This will save one rake, as the train that reaches Thiruvananthapuram in the evening can depart for Secunderabad a few hours after primary cleaning and by retaining the maintenance slot under the SCR itself. The saved rake can be used for a biweekly Secunderabad–Kottayam–Secunderabad superfast service. Moreover, the southern railway Thiruvananthapuram division can make use of the time slot provided for Sabari Express at 6.45 a.m. for operating a Thiruvananthapuram–Ernakulam–Thiruvananthapuram intercity service with an arrival slot of 6 p.m. at Thiruvananthapuram. Instead, the Sabari Express that arrives at 6.05 p.m. in Thiruvananthapuram can return to Secunderabad on the PFTR basis within a few hours. If the speed of the train is increased and adjusted between various stations, the Sabari Express (17230) can arrive at Thiruvananthapuram before 3 p.m. and can depart between 5 and 6 p.m., said Mr. Simon. At present, the train that reaches Palakkad at 9.20 a.m. reaches Thiruvananthapuram by around 6.05 p.m., taking over nine hours, a harrowing experience for the passengers. On the other hand, the intercity service can provide around 2,000 additional seats for local commuters one way in the peak office hours, a major relief for the daily commuters in the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam sector, where passenger trains are overcrowded. Last year, two women passengers fell unconscious due to suffocation on the overcrowded Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur Venad Express, said Mr. Simon.
