Alappuzha / Kochi ∙ Anu Ranjith, a native of Karuwata, rushes to get home as soon as possible when he leaves his workplace in Irumpanam, Kochi in the evening. There is no one else to take care of the aged mother. The Kayamkulam Express special train was running on time and still reached home before 8.40 pm. As the trains started getting delayed, they started getting delayed for more than three and a half hours. “Now they reach home by waving in tanker lorries and so on. If we get a lorry, we can reach home by 8 o’clock” – said Anu.
Many regular commuters like Anu are rushing to catch the ‘derailed’ train schedule. After weeks of strong protests, about 500 passengers boarded the Alappuzha-Eranakulam MEMU yesterday with their mouths covered. On the Alappuzha-Eranakulam route, passengers carrying placards reading ‘Duritamee Yatra’ protested by covering their mouths. A.M. Arif MP also traveled in the train in solidarity with the passengers.
In the complaint book for passengers after alighting at South Railway Station, A.M. Arif wrote a complaint and handed it over to the station master. A.M. said that the schedule of Ernakulam – Kayamkulam passenger (06451) should be changed to depart from Ernakulam at 6.05 pm as before. Arif MP demanded in the complaint.
The passengers staged the protest against the uncontrolled overcrowding of the MEMU train and the distress faced by the passengers in the trains held for the Vande Bharat Express. The protestors alleged that the late Ernakulam-Kayamkulam passenger was delayed by half an hour and held up at many stations, which adversely affected the passengers. Friends on Rail officials J. Lyons, Bindu Vayalar, Sivaprasad, Suresh, Girish, Biju, Bibin Mohan, Ranjini, Ramya, Shalini, Reji, Ratheesh, Rajilal and others led the strike.
