Thousands of IT professionals and daily commuters relying on Kazhakkoottam railway station are facing severe transit challenges as major long-distance trains continue to skip the hub. The Railway Development Committee and Prathidhwani, a welfare organisation representing Technopark employees, have renewed their call to Southern Railway to immediately grant halts for key long-distance services at Kazhakkoottam.

Bias towards Kottayam route
While persistent representations previously convinced railway authorities to allow halts for a few long-distance trains operating via Kottayam, services running along the Alappuzha coastal route have been completely overlooked. Commuters highlight that several high-demand trains passing through the section continue to bypass Kazhakkoottam despite its strategic importance adjacent to one of the largest IT parks in the country.

Priority trains identified
For years, railway user associations have urged officials to introduce halts for major services, including the Thiruvananthapuram–Guruvayur Intercity Express, Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Maveli Express, Kochuveli–Mysuru Express, and the Thiruvananthapuram–Kozhikode Jan Shatabdi Express. Although formal petitions have been submitted to senior officials, including the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Southern Railway, no action has been taken so far.

Weekend rush and commuter hardship
The absence of train halts creates severe congestion at Kazhakkoottam station, particularly on Friday evenings when thousands of Technopark employees head home for the weekend. Local services, such as the Kanyakumari–Punalur passenger train, experience intense overcrowding as commuters scramble to get aboard. Furthermore, IT professionals returning to Thiruvananthapuram are forced to travel all the way to Thampanoor railway station and take KSRTC buses back to Kazhakkoottam, adding extra time and expense to their journeys. Commuters have urged Southern Railway to step in promptly and resolve the transit crisis.