KASARGOD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled to visit Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, is likely to flag off three Amrit Bharat trains for Kerala on Friday, in addition to a passenger train from Guruvayur to Thrissur.
While the Railways have introduced Amrit Bharat trains as a comfortable and practical option for long-distance travel with modern facilities, the passengers in the state have mixed feelings on getting three such trains, with their scheduling leaving some baffled.
The new Amrit Bharat trains are set to provide connectivity from Kerala to major destinations like Tambaram, the third largest terminal in Chennai, and Charlapalli, the developing terminal in Hyderabad, especially when the state has only one daily train from Thiruvananthapuram to Secunderabad. Southern Railway’s statement points out that the Thiruvananthapuram-Tambaram Amrit Bharat connects the Kerala capital with one of Tamil Nadu’s busiest suburban and transit hubs.
Kasaragod District Rail Passengers’ Association hailed the decision to operate an Amrit Bharat from Nagercoil to Mangaluru Junction. “We thank the prime minister and the railway minister for a new train to our region,” said R Prasanth Kumar, president of the association. Rail users have termed it a New Year gift to the region. “A morning train from Mangaluru was a long-pending demand,” said association general secretary Nasar Cherkalam.
On the scheduling, passengers pointed out that the duration allotted to the Amrit Bharat on the Nagercoil-Mangaluru route is too long.
For instance, the train will leave Nagercoil at 11.40 am on Tuesdays and reach Mangaluru Junction at 5 am on Wednesdays. In the return direction, it will leave Mangaluru Junction at 8 am on Wednesdays and reach Nagercoil at 10.05pm the same day.
Intriguingly, the Tirunelveli-Jamnagar Express passes through the same route within 12.30 hours -- it departs from Nagercoil at 9.24 am and reaches Mangaluru at 9.55 pm the same day. A premium train like Amrit Bharat should not be taking 17 hours to cover the distance, rail users stressed.
Ajas Vadakkedam, an executive member of ‘Friends on Rails’, said the Amrit Bharat scheduling fails to take note of the passengers’ requirements.
“The trains are slated to reach the terminals at odd hours, causing discomfort to passengers,” he said.
Amrit Bharat Express trains in Kerala
Charlapalli-T’Puram North: Will leave Charlapalli at 7.15am on Tuesdays and reach Thiruvananthapuram North at 2.45pm on Wednesdays
T’Puram North-Charlapalli: Will leave Thiruvananthapuram at 5.30pm on Wednesdays and reach Charlapalli at 11.30pm on Thursdays
Nagercoil-Mangaluru Junction: Will leave Nagercoil at 11.40 am on Tuesdays to reach Mangaluru at 5 am on Wednesdays
Mangaluru Junction-Nagercoil: Will leave Mangaluru at 8 am to reach Nagercoil at 10.05 pm on Wednesdays
Tambaram-T’Puram Central: Will leave Tambaram at 5 pm on Wednesdays and reach T’Puram Central at 8 am on Thursdays
T’Puram Central-Tambaram: Will leave Thiruvananthapuram Central at 10.40 am on Thursdays and reach Tambaram at 11.45pm the same day.
(This trains runs via the Nagercoil-Madurai route)