KASARGOD: After much fanfare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Nagercoil-Mangaluru Junction-Nagercoil Amrit Bharat train at Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The inaugural special was welcomed by eager rail passengers at various stations. However, the schedule for the regular service, released on Friday, has left the rail users dumbfounded especially -- particularly over the timing between Kozhikode and Mangauluru Junction.
As per the schedule, the train reaches Kozhikode at 10.37pm and departs at 10.40pm, taking three hours to reach Kasaragod. It arrives at Kasaragod at 1.55am and departs at 1.57am. The train takes another three hours to cross just 48 rail km between Kasaragod and Mangaluru Junction. Rail users suspect that the train is likely to be held up for long hours to give priority to Superfast and Express services. With so much of slack time, the train may be halted outside stations at signals. Even while running between Mangauluru Junction to Nagercoil during the day, the train takes almost 14 hours, trailing behind other trains such as Ernad Express and the Mangaluru Central - Chennai Egmore Express.
“Imagine the plight of passengers caught up in these non-AC coaches. During summer, the coaches would turn into simmering cauldrons. Passengers will be forced to wait just a few metres away from their destinations on a train termed as premium service,” says Ajas Vadakkedam, executive member of Friends on Rails - Passengers Association.
He pointed out that railway rules do not allow passengers to use middle berths during daytime, forcing them to sit for long hours. In contrast, the overnight Mangaluru Junction-Kochuveli Antyodaya Express, which runs with fully unreserved coaches and without sleepers, completes the journey in just 11 hours and 15 minutes.
A train like Malabar Express which stops at 51 stations takes 15 hours and 30 minutes, while the Amrit Bharat, with a travel time of 17 hours between Nagercoil and Mangaluru Junction, stops only at 19 stations. The train does not stop at prominent stations of North Malabar like Vadakara, Koilandy, Payyanur and Kanhangad but stops at Karunagapalli, Kayankulam, Mavelikara, Chengannur, Tiruvalla and Changanassery between Kollam and Kottayam.
Concern over delay
As per schedule, Nagercoil-Mangaluru Jn-Nagercoil Amrit Bharat train takes 3 hrs to reach Kasaragod from Kozhikode
It takes another 3 hrs to cross 48 rail km between Kasaragod & Mangaluru Jn
Rail users suspect that the train is likely to be held up for long hours to give priority to Superfast and Express services