Railways plans quota revamp to improve ticket access for Kerala in Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat: Know more

Thiruvananthapuram: The Railways will soon initiate steps to restructure the ticket quota on the Bengaluru–Ernakulam Vande Bharat to ensure that more seats are available for passengers from Kerala. The Railway Authority shared the plan at a recent meeting of the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC). At present, passengers boarding from Ernakulam often struggle to secure tickets, while travellers from Coimbatore receive a larger share. DRUCC members urged the Railways to resolve this anomaly without delay.

Memu service
The committee members also called for introducing 16-coach MEMU services in the division, starting new services on the Kottayam–Rameswaram and Ernakulam–Puducherry routes, and launching a new direct train from Thiruvananthapuram to Hyderabad. Demands were also raised to enhance security on trains during late evenings and early mornings, reduce parking charges, and end the practice of operating MEMU services as express services. Committee members urged the Railways to expedite the development of the Nemom and Kochuveli terminals and to establish a new terminal at the Ernakulam Marshalling Yard. 

Vande Bharat view stuns passengers
A recent video, featuring a passenger enjoying a meal and the hills and greenery between Palakkad and Coimbatore while travelling on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat, has also been attracting attention. The video, captioned 'Good food, clean coaches and lush green mountains glowing outside - it feels like a world-class journey. And it's in India,' was posted by Kerala politician Anoop Antony Joseph on his page. However, people have also been pointing out that while the views are spectacular, the dirty glasses of the train ruin it often. "After a dozen trips, the glass gets dirty and no one cleans them, or they do a horrid job, and the landscape is not so much fun to look at," said an X user.