With the commissioning of the Kochi metro expected to coincide with the city getting its first Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) train by early June, demand is rife that the operation of the train and that of the existing intra-district Mainline EMU (MEMU) be rescheduled so that the trains complement the metro.
Passenger associations have for long been demanding MEMU’s extension to Thrissur and Kottayam.
This is because it has reasonable patronage only during morning and evening trips. Incidentally, it is operated with less than 100 commuters for most other trips.
“The MEMU / DEMU and the metro cater for various segments of the population. They also extend beyond the metro corridor up to Angamaly and Piravom. The fare is much less than the expected fare of the metro. Still, the metro ferries commuters to various places in the city. Thus, extending the MEMU service to Thrissur and Kottayam will ensure much higher patronage, bringing in passengers in large numbers to the city. DEMU, which is slated to be operated from the Harbour Terminus, could in turn be extended to Alappuzha. A section of passengers could rely on the metro to travel short distances within the city,” said Thrissur Railway Passengers’ Association general secretary P. Krishnakumar.
He demanded that the authorities take steps so that passengers on board the two trains benefit from the metro, which would usher in better connectivity within the city.
Mr. Krishnakumar said MEMU and DEMU could well become the metro’s feeder services. “Operating more such trains from the Harbour Terminus and the Old Railway Station, both of which are awaiting renovation, will turn Kochi into a hub of suburban trains,” he said.
No pulling back
In the meantime, Divisional Railway Manager Prakash Bhutani has denied that there are plans to withdraw the Angamaly-Piravom intra-district MEMU service when the metro is commissioned and DEMU begins operation to the Harbour Terminus in a month. “Trains are seldom withdrawn from service. At best, their routes and timings are altered,” he said.
