Commuters seek stop for Vanchinad Exp at Ettumanoor, Suresh Gopi promises action

Commuters in and around Ettumanoor have stepped up their demand for a stoppage of the Ernakulam–Thiruvananthapuram Vanchinad Express at the Ettumanoor railway station. Highlighting the difficulties faced by daily passengers, the Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple Advisory Committee recently submitted a formal petition to Union Minister Suresh Gopi.

The petition was presented to Suresh Gopi while he was attending a film shoot in nearby Athirampuzha. Committee president PK Rajan and secretary Mahesh Raghavan detailed the daily struggles of local commuters. Responding swiftly, the Union Minister contacted senior railway officials over the phone to explore the feasibility of the stop and instructed his personal secretary to closely monitor the follow-up actions.

The lack of a stop at Ettumanoor has been a major blow to hundreds of regular passengers who travel south towards Thiruvananthapuram every morning. Local residents note that a significant number of these passengers are patients heading to premier healthcare institutions such as the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology and the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Currently, these vulnerable travellers are forced to rely on the busier Kottayam station, causing them immense inconvenience and physical strain. Ettumanoor railway station serves as a crucial transit point for a vast hinterland that includes Pala, Kuravilangad, Vayala, Kidangoor, Erattupetta, Arpookara, and Neendoor. Passenger associations argue that halting the Vanchinad Express here is highly justified, especially since the station is already undergoing massive redevelopment and modernisation under the Union Government's prestigious Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.