KOCHI: The issue of overcrowding in the trains operating within the state once again came to light on Monday after three women passengers fainted on board the Tirunelveli-Palakkad Palaruvi Express when the train made a 30-minute stop at Mulanthuruthy station to make way for the Vande Bharat service.
Of the three women who fainted, two were accommodated in the disabled coach while the other was offered a seat in the guard compartment. The disabled coach was later opened up to accommodate more female passengers, owing to overcrowding in the ladies’ compartment.
Following the incident, disgruntled passengers staged a protest at Ernakulam Town railway station due to the frequent prolonged halts at Mulanthuruthy.
“Out of the 14 coaches in the Palaruvi Express, only 10 are available for regular commuters, as the rest are reserved. This leads to severe overcrowding, especially during rush hours,” says Ajas Vadakkedam, executive member of Friends on Rails.
Passengers also pointed out the lack of train services in the time slot between Palaruvi Express and Venad Express, leading to both trains operating beyond their maximum capacity. “Forget seating, it is a miracle if we get room to stand,” he says.
According to Ajas, the passengers’ main demand is to increase the number of coaches and consider halting the train at Tripunithura instead of Mulanthuruthy. They believe that introducing a MEMU service in the one-and-a-half-hour gap between Palaruvi Express and Venad Express would resolve the issue.