Trains have been delayed from October 27 onwards when the repair works began: File photoKochi/Palakkad/Kozhikode: The perennially late running of the Venad Express has been causing inconvenience to many, especially office-goers, due to the ongoing track maintenance work in the state.
On Thursday, the Trivandrum-Shoranur Venad Express (16302), that is running late by over three hours, was partially canceled with service terminated at Ernakulam instead of Shornur. Passengers with reservation tickets are permitted to travel by Korba Express, Palaruvi Express and Parsuram Express with the same tickets till Shornur.
Therefore, the return train (16301) will start services from Ernakulam. Passengers up to Ernakulam can travel by Ernad Express which will stop at Irinjalakkuda, Wadakancheri and Angamaly.
But since Ernad Express (Train number 16605) is running late by nearly an hour as of 11:10 am, the return trip of Venad is also likely to be delayed.
Ernad, which was supposed to reach Mahe at 10:20 am departed 50 minutes late from
the station.
Concerns mount
Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor, too had raised the people's concerns Wednesday.
With the maintenance works extended till December 21, trains continue to run late. Initially, November 30 was the deadline for completing the works.
In the Thiruvananthapuram division, the repair works that began a good two years ago in August 2016 are yet to get over.
Though the Nagercoil-Kottayam passenger (56304) reaches Thiruvananthapuram on time is delayed by 10-20 minutes affecting the remaining leg of the journey. Because of this six other long-distance express trains get delayed.
The problem could be resolved if the Nagercoil-Kottayam passenger is rescheduled or the faster MEMU trains are deployed.
Another bottleneck is that though the Nagercoil-Kottayam route is electrified, the passenger train continue to run on diesel engines.
Cancellation of several trains on the Kannur-Kozhikode route due to maintenance works has also affected travel on this route.
The trains that have been canceled include the Mangalore-Coimbatore passenger (56323) and the Coimbatore-Mangalore passenger (56324). At present, the 56323 passenger train is plying between Kannur and Mangalore and the 56324 train between Coimbatore and Shoranur.
The Kannur-Kozhikode passenger train (56654) was canceled a few months ago.
Though the Nagercoil-Mangalore Ernad Express (16606) reaches Kozhikode by 12.30 in the afternoon, it starts from there only at 3 pm.
Parasuram and Mangala Express trains are delayed by an hour or two on a regular basis.
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