THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Major railway stations across the Thiruvananthapuram Division recorded close to a 20% spike in passenger footfall during the Independence Day weekend. The rush, which began on Thursday evening, was managed effectively with the operation of special trains and the addition of extra coaches, said senior railway officials. The surge in passenger numbers is expected to continue until Monday morning.
Since Independence Day fell on Friday this year, Southern Railway introduced special services to manage the crowd, including the Mangaluru Junction-Thiruvananthapuram North Special on August 14 and 16, along with return services from Thiruvananthapuram North-Mangaluru Junction on August 15 and 17. Officials said these measures offered much relief to passengers at busy stations.
Senior officials of Southern Railway said that the rush is only a precursor to the heavier traffic during Onam. Sources said the passenger footfall is projected to rise by over 40% between September 4 and 7.
With this in mind, passengers have urged the Southern Railway to consider deploying additional Vande Bharat Express services for the festive season.