KOCHI: The DEMU service, which was started with much fanfare from the Cochin Harbour Terminus to Ernakulam Junction Station, has gone off track. The Railway officials informed that the service will not be there from Monday.
Low patronage is the reason cited by the railways for pulling the train off service.
“We had started the DEMU on an experimental basis. However, we found that there was very low patronage for the service. Hardly four to five passengers would board the train from the Cochin Harbour Terminus to the Ernakulam Junction Station in the morning. It was the same situation in the evening. The Railways was hardly earned Rs 500 through ticket sales. However, the amount spent on maintenance and other amenities amounted to Rs 30,000. We are stopping the service because we can’t prove its utility to the Railway Board,” officials said.
The ticket rate for the travel was Rs 10. Rail commuters said that the service was merely a hogwash. According to them, the train did not have stops at Vathuruthy, Naval Base and Perumanoor, which had the maximum number of people who would opt for the service.
However, officials said it would be difficult to make these stops a reality at short notice because it would cost the railways a lot of money. “If stops need to be allotted at these places, the railway platforms need to be elevated. Also, more employees need to be appointed,” an official said.