Vande Bharat Disruptions: Kerala’s Commuters Face Prolonged Train Journeys

Kerala’s commuters are grappling with extended travel times as other express trains are delayed by 20 to 45 minutes to accommodate Vande Bharat trains. Trains like Rajdhani, Ernad, Palaruvi, and Intercity are experiencing delays due to these adjustments.

While Vande Bharat swiftly covers long distances, it inadvertently lengthens the travel duration for shorter-distance trains. The rescheduling of train timings, such as the early morning Venad train departing from Thiruvananthapuram at 5:05 AM, now rescheduled to 5:25 AM, has sparked protests. This change significantly inconveniences daily commuters heading to offices in Ernakulam.

Moreover, the Kayamkulam Express departing from Ernakulam junction at 6:05 PM faces delays of up to 40 minutes at Kumbalam, causing inconvenience, particularly to students and female travelers. Uncertainty prevails regarding the arrival times of various trains, including the Nagercoil-Kottayam passenger train.

The Thiruvananthapuram to Malabar region route witnesses heavy footfall for Vande Bharat due to limited train options, leading to increased acceptance. However, this influx has disrupted the travel schedules of other trains, causing a delay of two to three hours, except for Janashatabdi.

Passenger organizations have raised these issues with railway authorities. The authorities attribute the delays to weather conditions and track maintenance activities in other divisions. They have assured passengers that their complaints will be addressed, and appropriate measures will be taken to mitigate the inconvenience.