Rights panel registers case against halting other trains for Vande Bharat

Kozhikode: Railways' decision to halt short-distance trains to enable long-distance Vande Bharat services to run on time a violates passengers rights to travel, the Human Rights Commission has said.

Citing the news reports of the woes faced by thousands of passengers from Malabar, the rights panel has registered a case. Commission acting chairperson and judicial member K Baiju Nath has ordered the Palakkad Railway Divisional Manager to submit a report suggesting solutions to the issue within 15 days.

Passengers travelling between Shoranur and Kannur, who depend on trains daily, have been inordinate delays for the past two months. There have been instances of exhausted passengers fainting due to long delays.

Restructuring the train timings to facilitate Vande Bharat's smooth running has caused the problem. Parasuram Express, which reaches Kozhikode by 3.50 pm leaves only by 5 pm, the panel noted. Running delays for the Express has become a daily issue.

To let Vande Bharat, which starts from Kannur by 7.57 am, service on time, the Kannur-Kozhikode Passenger train is given temporary halts at various stations regularly.

Janasadabdi, Eranad Express trains and many other special trains are pulled over at various stations to allow the Vande Bharat towards Kasargod to zip past unhindered.

Due to delays, the Alappuzha-Kannur executive reaches Kozhikode late in the night regularly.
While the Vande Bharat train towards Alappuzha travels on time, Netravati Express heading to Thiruvananthapuram is stopped at Kanhangad and Parasuram Express is halted at Kozhikode, the Commission noted.