Kerala   

Railways’ ‘apathy’ evokes protest Peoplespeak

Concerted effort

There is no doubting that Railways have been neglecting Kerala. There are several instances to show the neglect towards the State. The latest was the setting up of the Salem Division by bifurcating the Palakkad Division. Now, the authorities plan to shift the office of the Chief Engineer (Construction) from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai, Egmore. The sector was developed during the tenure of O. Rajagopal. He ensured that the decks were cleared for all projects proposed by Kerala. A concerted effort by the MPs in Kerala would help end the neglect that Kerala has been subjected to for the past few years.

V.P. Ramesan

Thripunithura

The Centre has been neglecting Kerala for years together, not only in the case of train services but also in the case of heavy industry, agricultural sector, Plan fund allocation and ration subsidy. Ticketless travellers are negligible in Kerala. Kerala generates good revenue for Railways. There was an attempt to bifurcate the Palakkad Division and set up the Salem Division. This was allegedly in the interest of R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways. The move was postponed following protests and oppositions. People prefer to travel by trains and metro rail projects should be launched immediately.

Moreover, new projects such as the Sabari Project should be implemented in Kerala. The State Government and the Members of Parliament from Kerala should come together to usher in development in the sector.

K.V. Ajayan

Alappuzha

The Railway Ministry has always neglected the interests of rail users in Kerala. The Ministry introduces a few trains or sanctions additional compartments to pacify the people. The train services need urgent improvement. A long-term plan has to be drawn up and a Kerala Railway Division should be created for the purpose. Lack of planning has hit the State. For instance, in 1986, the Railways set up land acquisition offices to acquire land for the Kayamkulam-Alappuzha railway line. They acquired land needed for a single line and in 2004, set up land acquisition offices to acquire land for doubling the existing line. Had they acquired land for the doubling work way back in 1986, crores of rupees could have been saved. Urban transit cars with wide doors have been introduced in most States. Passengers can board and alight within a few seconds. Commuters should be allowed space to stand and travel in the compartments. The trains that arrive or depart from Kochi are packed and commuters often jostle for space on the footboard ladder. Introduction of urban rapid transit cars connecting Kochi to Kottayam, Thrissur and Alappuzha is a must.

K. Ram Das

Haripad

The condition of the railway sector in Kerala is worsening. The Union Government does a lot to improve the infrastructure, increase the number of trains and routes in other States, but it is least concerned about Kerala. A year ago, I was travelling from Ernakulam to Secunderabad. The station in Secunderabad was neat and tidy, and beautiful too. The trains operating in Kerala do not cater to the passengers, especially daily commuters. Congested general compartments are a daily feature on trains that connect Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The poor seating arrangements and dirty coaches add to the woes of the passengers. While Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Bihar are provided with new trains, Kerala continues to be neglected.

Sruthi B

Haripad

Every year people in Kerala hope to get a better deal from the Railway Ministry, but this never happens. The neglect is partially because of our political leaders’ failure to pressure the Centre to allot new trains or for better infrastructure.

Regular commuters find it difficult to travel in super fast trains with limited stops and awry schedules. The Railway Ministry attributes the delay in land acquisition for doubling the railway line and building flyovers to its decision on not granting new trains. We should make a collective effort to get the Centre to sanction more trains since the maximum revenue is generated from Kerala. Trains operating in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Ernakulam- Kannur-Palakkad sector at regular intervals are essential as they could cater to the needs of the people. Electric trains like the ones in Mumbai and Chennai meant for regular commuters are essential. Suburban train charges are low and should be introduced in Kerala also.

N. Ganapathy Ram

Kochi

Indian Railways is neglecting Kerala. The Union Ministers for Railways grant new trains to their own States. When O. Rajagopal was the Minister of State for Railways, he initiated all possible steps to improve the railway sector in Kerala. An all-party delegation that met the Prime Minister has appealed that Kerala be granted a coach factory and more trains. However, Lalu Prasad is in favour of Bihar and R. Velu favours Tamil Nadu.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Kochi

The State needs to be more hi-tech in terms of infrastructure.

This will benefit the tourism sector as well. Passenger amenities need to be enhanced and medical sector given due importance. Loopholes regarding privatisation should be plugged. The sincere officers should be deployed to check major malpractices and tax evasions. Counter services should be enhanced and facilitated with the participation of the local police and apex bodies. Mineral water vending machines, installation of wi-fi systems, electronic reservation charts, introduction of high speed local city services, etc. are a need of the hour.

S. Krishna Kumar

Kottayam

In Kerala, more revenue is generated from passenger travel than from the transport of goods. There is no justification in setting up a separate railway zone.

Also, the existing two Railway Divisions extend to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. More services from Kerala to neighbouring States should be introduced. Weekly trains from Kerala to Bangalore could be rescheduled so that there is an additional train daily. At present, we have two trains on few days and none on other days. The Thiruvananthapuram- Chennai Super Fast running with just 17 coaches, with few coaches earmarked for Bangalore, should be augmented.

The coaches can be operated as a separate train from Salem to Bangalore.

Thus, an additional daily train from Thiruvananthapuram to Bangalore could be provided. Extension of the Dadar- Yashwantpur Express up to Thiruvananthapuram will provide connectivity between Kerala and interior Karnataka and Western Maharashtra. The Ernakulam- Trichy Express could be extended up to Nagapattinam

S. Skanda Prasad

Kochi

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