KOTTAYAM: Even as the Railways moves ahead with its decision to extend the Kollam-Kottayam MEMU service to Ernakulam, a section of passengers has urged it to reconsider the move. They have argued that the change would cause considerable inconvenience to commuters travelling between Kottayam and Kollam.
The Mahatma Gandhi University Employees Union has submitted a memorandum to the Southern Railway divisional railway manager demanding that the MEMU service be retained in its existing form. The union said the proposed change would adversely affect hundreds of daily commuters, including university employees, students and teachers.
“Under the revised arrangement, the 66315 MEMU, which currently leaves Kottayam for Kollam at 5.40 pm, will instead originate from Ernakulam at 5.25 pm and reach Kottayam at 6.45 pm. This would effectively discontinue the existing evening service from Kottayam to Kollam, leaving regular passengers without a convenient alternative,” said M S Suresh, association secretary.
The service is relied upon by hundreds of passengers every day, and the number of coaches was recently increased following sustained public demand.
Despite the additional coaches, passengers boarding at Kottayam often struggle to find seats and are forced to travel standing. The evening MEMU is particularly important as it is the only convenient train option for passengers travelling towards Kollam after the departure of the Parasuram Express at 3.25pm.
Kottayam MP K Francis George has also opposed the extension, stating that it would neither resolve the travel woes on the Ernakulam-Kottayam stretch nor adequately benefit passengers.
Following this, he also submitted a memorandum to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking the introduction of a separate MEMU service from Kottayam to Kollam, with a departure between 5.30 pm and 6 pm.
He added that introducing an additional service would be a better way to address the commuting difficulties without disrupting the existing connectivity between Kottayam and Kollam.