Even after easing restrictions after the third wave, season tickets are not allowed in many trains in Kerala causing great difficulty to daily commuters.
While all the offices and educational institutions have resumed the pre-pandemic schedule with 100% attendance, the public is finding it difficult with the delay in resumption of earlier services and concessions.
“They haven’t restored the facility in services such as Sabari, Netravathi, Chennai Express, Ananthapuri and Island Express. Though trains such as Parasuram, Intercity and Vanchinad are issuing season tickets, they have reduced the number of general compartments,” says a passenger.
With thousands of daily riders depending on these trains, the coaches are always jam-packed during rush hours. “Many are forced to look for other options and going by road means more commuting time and extra fare,” he says.
Lack of sufficient number of passenger and MEMU services have also aggravated the situation along with the change of schedule. “They are yet to restore most passenger and MEMU services that were cancelled due to the pandemic. Surprisingly, a couple of restored services are now operating in odd hours making them totally useless to daily riders,” says J. Liyons, secretary, Friends on Rails, a collective of daily passengers.
Another issue is the absence of ladies compartments in some restored services. Trains such as Parasuram are operating without ladies coupe after COVID-19, causing great discomfort to women passengers as the general compartments are always crowded.
“They had also cancelled the concessions for senior citizen and differently-abled persons. So far there has been no move from the part of Railways to restore them. Every day passengers enter reserved coaches due to the heavy rush. This leads to daily clashes making the travel a very unpleasant experience,’‘ Mr. Liyons says.
Passengers also point out a rise in law and order issues of late and feel the present system is insufficient to address such situations.
“There has been complaints about the increasing presence of beggars and anti-socials. The service of railway police is not available in many trains. If we report an issue immediately after leaving Thiruvananthapuram station, we will have to wait till Kollam. It takes an hour for them to address the issue,” says Mr .Liyons.
