Railways to pull the plug on Thalassery parcel office from July 25

Thalassery: Reviving concerns over the steady erosion of public amenities at one of Kerala's oldest A-class railway stations, the Railways has decided to shut down the parcel office at the Thalassery railway station from July 25.

An order directing its closure, issued by the Chief Commercial Manager, has been communicated to the station, raising concerns among passengers, traders and railway workers who depend on the parcel service.Stakeholders argue that the decision is in sharp contrast to the Railways' celebration of infrastructure upgrades worth crores of rupees, even as essential passenger amenities continue to disappear from the station.

The parcel office, which has been in operation since the station was commissioned, generates more than Rs.3 lakh in revenue every month. Its closure will leave passengers and traders from Thalassery and neighbouring areas dependent on the parcel office at Kannur, about 22 km away, while also affecting the livelihoods of railway helpers who rely on parcel handling for their income.

This is not the first attempt to shut down the facility. An earlier attempt to shut down the facility was withdrawn following strong protests by public representatives and various organisations. The parcel office, which once functioned round the clock, had its working hours reduced to 5 p.m. several years ago. The latest order, however, seeks to bring the service to an end altogether.

The proposed closure also comes against the backdrop of a gradual reduction in facilities at the station over the years. The goods shed here was dismantled earlier, bringing wagon-based freight operations to an end. As part of the railway line doubling project, the number of tracks at the station was reduced from four to three.

Karayi Rajan MLA, has urged the Divisional Railway Manager to withdraw the proposal, saying residents of Thalassery and nearby areas depend on the station's parcel service and that its closure would adversely affect workers employed there.

Railway Passengers' Association secretary Sasikumar Kallidumbil, in a memorandum submitted to Divisional Railway Manager Madhukar Raut, also urged the Railways to revoke the decision, saying it would cause hardship to passengers, traders, local residents and railway helpers alike.