People who came to Kerala from IT hub Bengaluru to celebrate Diwali with their families had a harrowing experience while returning on trains to the capital city of Karnataka. For many, it was a tall order to squeeze into the jam-packed reservation coaches. Those who reserved their tickets on the Kanyakumari-KSR Bengaluru Express and Thiruvananthapuram North (Kochuveli)-Mysuru Express couldn’t board their allotted coaches.
The passengers were forced to board random bogies but couldn’t get seats. People who carried luggage for the journey had to drop their travel plans as they couldn’t board the train. The passengers travelling on the Kannur-Yeshwantpur Express, too, faced similar problems.
No special trains for return journey
The grim situation was compounded by the fact that there were no special trains on Monday. The tickets for Kerala and Karnataka RTC special buses were also sold out. The private bus operators were cashing in on the heavy rush, charging more than double the normal fare. The Thiruvananthapuram North-Byappanahalli Terminal Antyodaya Express, a Diwali special train, will leave Thiruvananthapuram only at 6.05 pm on Tuesday.
This train with 14 general coaches could have been a blessing for travellers if it had service on Monday. The train will return on Wednesday. The Byappanahalli Terminal (SMVT)-Thiruvananthapuram North (Kochuveli) Antyodaya Express (06040) will leave at 12.45 pm and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 5 am.