Southern Railway checks possibility of resuming passenger trains

Kochi: The Southern Railway is checking the possibility of resuming passenger train services at stations with heavy rush of passengers.

Currently, only express trains are conducting services in the state.

Though demands have been raised for resuming memu and passenger services, the railway had taken the stance not to operate unreserved trains before the central government gives permission.

However, the South Western Railway had resumed memu services in Bengaluru. This was based on the provision that if the state government demands then the zonal railways can operate a certain number of passenger trains.

Along these lines, the Southern Railways is also checking the possibility of operating passenger trains in at least some routes in Kerala during the morning and evening peak hours, if the state government requests for it.

The railway commercial wing has begun to collect information on which all sectors see heavy rush of short-distance passengers in the Thiruvananthapuram division.

As per this, one pair of passenger trains or memu services are likely to be allowed for Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam, Kollam-Ernakulam, and Ernakulam-Shoranur sectors in the first phase.