Kottayam: The re-introduction of railway season tickets has come as a relief to commuters as they can travel without burning a huge hole in their pockets. Regular commuters can avail season tickets at an amount 10 per cent lesser than that required for booking train seats.
Season-ticket holders can board the unreserved compartments of the Punalur-Guruvayur Express. Season tickets are also valid on MEMU trains.
Those commuting between Kottayam and Ernakulam on work will benefit more from the MEMU special service, recently introduced in place of the earlier passenger train.
Currently, for all trains, barring super fasts, express train fare has to be paid. The ticket fare for super fast trains is more than the express trains.
Substantial gains
Commuters are set to save substantial money with the availability of season tickets after a long gap owing to ban on train services in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as a few trains were re-introduced earlier this year under the 'special' category only advance reservation, with the express train fare for the destination, was allowed.
Currently, advance booking is necessary to board all trains on the Kottayam line, except Kollam-Ernakulam MEMU and Punalur-Guruvayur Express.
With a season ticket a person travelling between Kottayam and Ernakulam, for instance, could cut down his expenses on train fare by Rs 2,230 monthly, assuming he paid Rs 2,500 for two trips, up and down, for 25 days in the Second Class (2S) sitting coach. The montly season ticket fare for this route is Rs 270.
Similarly, on the Kottayam-Kollam section a season-ticket holder is set to save Rs 2,645 per month, assuming the expenses for reserved travel is Rs 3,000 for two trips, up and down, for 25 days in the Second Class sitting coach. The montly season ticket fare for this route is Rs 270.
On the shorter Kottayam-Thiruvalla route the savings could be Rs 2,065. For the 30 km distance, the season ticket far is Rs 185 a month. A rider has to spend about Rs 2,250 for reserved travel for two trips, up and down, for 25 days in the second sitting coach.
Demand for more unreserved coaches
Commuters are demanding more unreserved coaches in trains other than the popular Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur Venad Express and Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam Vanchinad Express trains that ply entirely within the State.
Several regular passengers depend on trains such as Thirunelveli-Palakkad Palaruvi Express and Nagarcoil-Mangaluru Parasuram Express which operate mostly within Kerala. The shortage of unreserved coaches is badly felt as season ticket-holders can't enter the reserved sleeper coaches on these trains.
They also demanded the Railways to commence the cancelled passenger and MEMU services. The All Kerala Railway Users' Association has submitted a memorandum to the chief minister raising these demands.
Friends on Rails, a collective of commuters, submitted another memorandum to Indian Passenger Service Member Ettumannor Radhakrishnan, demanding to avoid the late-running of trains and to reschedule the timings of the MEMU service.
Palaruvi still whizzes past Ettumanoor
The Railways is yet to heed to the demand for a stop for Palaruvi Express at Ettumanoor. The demand has been raised ever since the schedule was introduced. Several memoranda, including by Thomas Chazhikkadan, MP, have been submitted seeking the stoppage, but to no avail.
