The damage suffered by two air-conditioned coaches and a general coach after two trains brushed against each other during shunting at the marshalling yard here on Sunday has further worsened coach shortage in trains operating in the Ernakulam region.
“The shortage is acute, while the repair of the coaches might take up to two months. A preliminary probe suggests carelessness by the shunting staff. The delay in getting back the MEMU train that was taken to Chennai for repair has made matters worse. It has, in turn, resulted in coaches being ‘cannibalised’ from other short-distance trains. The situation is expected to continue till MEMU returns in another month,” said a senior Railway official.
He attributed coach shortage to delay in getting back coaches taken to Chennai for repair and special trains being operated in poll-bound States.
Swapping of coaches
“Priority is accorded to the Chennai Division. Thus, sleeper and airconditioned coaches are often swapped among trains that operate in the Thiruvananthapuram Division to ensure their prompt operation.
“We cannot let down passengers who reserve tickets,” he added.
The Thiruvananthapuram Division operates more coaches than several other railway zones, considering the heavy demand for both short-distance and long-distance trains connecting metros and distant places. Meanwhile, All Kerala Railway Users’ Association president Paul Manvettom has demanded that more coaches be included in trains that have high demand, besides starting more services to places like Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Velankanni.
Migrant workers
“It is deplorable that hundreds of migrant workers have to cram themselves in the general compartments of the sole train that operates between Kerala and Guwahati. The Southern Railway must urgently operate special trains in the sector,” he said.
