Frequent revisions made by the State government in its advisory on rail travel following the COVID-19 pandemic are putting passengers commuting within the State in a quandary.
Trains such as Jan Shatabdi Express running within the State resumed services from June 1. But on the first day the Kannur–Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi started its journey from Kozhikode, thereby leaving passengers stranded at the Kannur railway station in pre-dawn rain. After a public uproar, the State government has now asked the Railways to start the train from the original destination.
“Now, the situation is more awkward as many who booked the tickets before June 1 had cancelled their tickets and rebooked their tickets from Kozhikode. Now, these passengers may have to book their tickets again to board from Kannur and also cancel the tickets booked from Kozhikode,” C.E. Chakkunny, chairman, Confederation of All-India Rail Users’ Association, said.
He said that the flip-flop attitude of the State government was giving a harrowing time to the rail passengers travelling within the State.
“Based on the demand of the government, the Railways cancelled important halts of the Jan Shatabdi Expresses.
“There is no logic in temporarily removing the halts at the regular stations when State-owned KSRTC is plying inter-district services,” Mr. Chakkunny said.
Railway officials are confused over the volte face of the State government on removing the regular halts - whether it is at Thalassery, Vadakara, Aluva, Cherthala, Mavelikkara, Kayamkulam, and Varkala Sivagiri of the four Jan Shatabdi trains running via Alappuzha and Kottayam routes.
“The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation [IRCTC] will refund the full fare for the trains cancelled till June 30. But we do not know about refunding the fare for cancelled halts. One of the reasons is the changing stance of the government regarding the halts,” a source said.
Incidentally, the IRCTC website has listed the Central government advisory for domestic travel dated May 24. However, the State government advisory on inter-State movement is still dated May 11.
It says that persons with a valid railway ticket for journey to Kerala should apply for an entry pass in the portal https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in. The details of the passengers will be verified and a medical screening conducted at the arriving station.
The district administrations will make arrangements for operating KSRTC buses to the district headquarters and major towns to drop the arriving passengers, it says.