THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Railway passengers in the state are coming up against the Indian Railways for suspending existing trains, cutting stops, not reinstating passenger trains, and cancelling season tickets. Friends on Rails, a railway passenger organisation, is gearing up to protest the apathy of the Indian Railways. According to them, the Railways continues to neglect the passenger even after lockdown restrictions were relaxed. Passengers have decided to stage a dharna at main stations in every district with the support of elected members of political parties.
Liyons J, secretary of Friends on Rails, said that 90 per cent of commuters in the state depend on passenger trains and when the pandemic hit, everyone, including those from the lower income groups, cooperated with the Railways’ decision.
“Now everything has gone back to normal except the Railway’s. A large section of the passengers who are dependent on the Railways’ are struggling for survival. Many people even lost their jobs because of lack of other options for daily transportation,” said Liyons. He said that despite several memorandums and petitions, the Railways refuses to address the woes of the passengers. He said that the organisation is planning for a protest in front of the Divisional Railway Manager’s Office soon.