KOCHI: The Edappally Railway Passengers Association have demanded a change in time schedule for the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train. The demand arose in a survey conducted among 1,924 passengers who commute in the Ernakulam-Shoranur region. The findings of the opinion survey was published during a press conference here on Tuesday.
The association conducted the survey in a span of one week to understand the problems faced by the passengers and suggest solutions to the same. The association and its members who are regular commuters in this route have for long complained that the local trains which carry them to their workplace do not reach on time and that the facilities at Edappally railway station be upgraded. The passengers had also forwarded several messages, requests and complaints in writing and through WhatsApp several times. The association members pointed out that the change in time schedule which came into effect in 2013 caused inconvenience to the passengers and since passenger trains are stopped to make way for express trains, frequently, they get delayed on almost all days.
“Many a times we have been half an hour to one hour late in reaching the office and after punching in late for two to three times we get marked absent for one whole day,” said Manikandan, convenor of the association. The passengers from small stations are the ones who are affected the most by this since major trains do not stop here.
“Due to the late arrivals of trains at night, passengers, especially ladies, are forced to stay at friends’ homes because the last buses would have gone by then,” said some of the passengers who took part in the survey.
“Edappally railway station is one of the main stations in Ernakulam, but there is no road to get to the station. There are many institutions around the station and many who work at these places rely on these passenger trains, but unfortunately neither the trains are on time nor the station has any proper facilities. Edappally station should have been developed before Tripunithura. GCDA had put forth a proposal to develop Edappally railway station, but the Railway officials have not accepted the proposal till date,” the members pointed out.
1,271 passengers voted for changing the departure time of 56361 Shoranur-Ernakulam passenger from Shornoor to 4:40 and arrival at Ernakulam to 7:10. 1,012 passengers voted for 56364 Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger to depart at 17:35 from Ernakulam and arrive at Shoranur at 20:35.
Members said that the survey results will be submitted to the railway officials as a request to be considered during their decision-making meetings.