Kottayam: Adding to the severe rail passenger travelling crisis, the number of coaches in the Ernakulam – Kollam MEMU in the evening has been reduced. The train that leaves Ernakulam junction (South) at 6.15 pm now travels to Kollam via Kottayam with fewer coaches than usual. Earlier, this MEMU train ran with 12 coaches. Meanwhile, the passengers said that MEMU has been running services with just eight trains for the last four days. By the time the train reaches Ernakulam, the coaches are overcrowded, with many passengers suffering nausea or falling unconscious in the evening. Kottayam natives who work in Ernakulam mostly rely on this train for their daily commute.
The number of passengers in the Ernakulam – Kollam MEMU train had skyrocketed after the Venad Express started passing through Ernakulam North station without entering Ernakulam South. Now, the railways have further troubled the passengers by cutting down the coaches in MEMU. On Saturday, the coaches were particularly overcrowded, with no space to stand properly. The passengers urge the authorities to resume the 12 and 16-coached MEMU. Besides, they demand to schedule an additional service for the newly flagged off Kollam – Ernakulam MEMU in the evening.
MEMU shed work resumes
The works of the MEMU shed in Kollam resumed recently, and the pending works are expected to be finished soon. This can enable the repair of 16-coach MEMU rakes at the shed. Once operational again, the facility can run MEMU services for up to 24 trains from Kollam. New MEMU services will also be possible to connect Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Chengannur. The Kollam – Ernakulam MEMU (06169) was launched on October 7 and will be in service until January 3. It runs on all days except weekends. The train starts from Kollam at 6.15 am, and the arrival time at Ernakulam South Junction is 9.35 am.