Bringing respite to inter-district commuters and office goers, a pair of MEMU train services which link Ernakulam with Shoranur and Alappuzha respectively resumed service on Monday, almost a year after halting trips due to the pandemic.
With UTS and other mobile-phone-based services yet to be restored, the Railway has opened UTS counters in stations where the trains have stops so that those wanting to travel on general tickets and season tickets could buy them. The MEMU trains are being operated as express trains, having limited number of stops, Railway sources said.
Passengers of Guruvayur-Punalur Express unreserved train, which is slated to resume service from March 17, too can avail of this facility. Passengers in all other trains must reserve tickets before travelling. Five MEMU trains which had been withdrawn from service, will resume trips from Tuesday as special long-distance trains.
Almost 60% of long-distance trains in the Thiruvananthapuram division have been restored. More trains will operate if need be, based on demand and the reservation pattern. Stops will also be restored in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, passenger associations have demanded rescheduling of the Shoranur-Ernakulam MEMU service. As per the current timing, the train leaves Shoranur at 3.30 a.m., reaches Thrissur at 4.13 a.m. and Ernakulam at 6.50 a.m. “Regular commuters do not benefit from the service. The return timing is reasonable, since it leaves Ernakulam at 5.35 p.m.,” the Thrissur Railway Passengers’ Association said. Railway sources said that the Southern Railway headquarters had been apprised of the issue. But changes were unlikely in the short term since the coach links had been finalised.
