Kannur: Kerala's Minister for Tourism and Public Works, PA Muhammad Riyas has said the state deserves more Vande Bharat trains because it generates the highest revenue from ticket sales.
Riyas said the Vande Bharat train is the right of every Malayali and that it cannot be treated as an offering from the Centre.
"Kerala gives the most revenue to the Railways from ticket sales. The railway has said that in most states ticketless travel is common. But that is not the case in Kerala. And for such a revenue-generating state, Kerala does not have a sufficient number of trains," said Riyas.
The minister said his government was happy to get the Vande Bharat Express, but it does not want to be counted among those who project the new high-speed service as the ultimate solution.
"We are honestly happy about the Vande Bharat train. But is this an alternative for SilverLine? Not at all."
Rusty bogeys
Riyas said most of the trains that operate in the state have rusty compartments. "A friend once told me, one needs to pack a syringe for a tetanus shot while travelling by train."
The minister has urged the railways to realign the existing tracks to get the best speed output from the Vande Bharat Express which claims a top speed of 160km/hr.
"There are 626 curves on the tracks in Kerala. Those have to be straightened. It will take the Railways 10-20 years to achieve that. But the SilverLine project promises a train every 20 minutes so that passengers can travel from one end of Kerala to another in a short time," said Riyas.
