KANNUR/KOZHIKODE: Regular passengers cannot help but shudder at the thought of taking the train between Kasaragod and Kozhikode. Lack of sufficient services during peak hours has been haunting them for years. The unprecedented rush has not only caused inconvenience but also created health scares.
On Monday, two girls travelling on the Mangaluru-Nagercoil Parasuram Express (16649) fainted from suffocation.
The girls, who had boarded from Vadakara and Koyilandy to travel to Kozhikode, were assisted by co-passengers and reached their destination safely.
With this 20 passengers have fainted inside the crowded Parasuram Express in the past month. The sight of people bustling for space inside the train’s jam-packed coaches has become common. “Parasuram Express is the lone option for Kannur residents who work or study in Kozhikode,” said Rasheed Kavvayi, chairman of, North Malabar Railway Passengers Coordination Committee.
“After Parasuram departs from Kannur at 7.10 am, the next train to Kozhikode is only at 8.05 am. It is not viable for people working in Kozhikode as they would not be able to reach their workplaces on time,” he said.
Rasheed said it would be ideal if railways started a service immediately before or after Parasuram to accommodate the rush.
Recounting Monday’s incident, Jossey Chungath, a passenger, told TNIE, “One of the girls fainted while the train was halted at Thikkodi for nearly 30 minutes to allow the Vande Bharat Express to pass. The other girl lost consciousness between Koyilandy and Kozhikode.”
Train delays not regular affair, say railway authorities
Rasheed said the train was halted at Thikkodi for nearly 30 minutes and reached Kozhikode an hour late. “Such delays cause problems for passengers,” he said.
On Tuesday, a few daily women passengers who could not enter the ladies’ compartment due to the rush boarded the adjacent reservation coach. However, they were asked to leave by the TTE and police, moments before the train started moving from Kannur.
When contacted, Kozhikode railway authorities said the fainting took place on the way to Kozhikode and none of the passengers complained about it to the station authorities.
“In similar situations earlier, medical care was given to the affected passengers at the station. Train delays are not regular. The railways allotted an extra general compartment to Parasuram Express last month. However, due to the road works on the national highway, more people are depending on trains, leading to huge rush in services between Kannur and Kozhikode,” a source close to the Kozhikode railway manager told TNIE.
