Punalur: Expanding Vistadome coach services along the scenic Kollam–Sengottai railway route faces a serious hurdle - the urgent need to lengthen platforms across 10 stations along the stretch, including several halt stations.

Under the present infrastructure constraints, introducing an additional Vistadome coach would force the Railways to sacrifice an unreserved (general) coach from the 13-coach Guruvayur–Madurai Express.

In fact, a general coach had already been removed to accommodate the Vistadome coach during its recent run on Thursday. Cutting any further into the unreserved segment will hit ordinary and daily commuters hard.

On the day the Vistadome coach was attached, the train's rake comprised seven unreserved coaches, one generator car, a guard van, two sleeper coaches, one 3-tier AC coach, and a single Vistadome coach. Additionally, a banker engine had to be hitched to the rear between Punalur and Bhagavathipuram to help the train negotiate the steep gradients of the Western Ghats section.

24-coach capacity limited to just two stations
Tenders are yet to be floated for lengthening the platforms at Ottakkal, Kazhuthurutti, and Edappalayam stations, while construction is currently underway at Ezhukone and Aryankavu.

When the line was commissioned in 2018 following gauge conversion, only Punalur and Bhagavathipuram stations were equipped with platforms long enough to accommodate 24-coach trains.

Meanwhile, Kottarakkara can currently handle trains with a maximum of only 18 coaches. At Kundara, level-crossing gates on either side of the station restrict the feasible platform length to accommodate just 20 coaches. Construction to support a 20-coach capacity is slated for Edamon station as well.

At all crossing stations along the route, work is currently focused on extending the length of Platform 2. However, while New Aryankavu has two tracks, it is equipped with only a single platform. In contrast, extension work is actively progressing on both platforms at Thenmala.