Rising demand for AC travel in trains; KSRTC announces additional services

In Kerala's summer, many passengers prefer to travel in AC compartments of trains as the temperature keeps soaring. The tickets in these compartments are running out at a rapid pace, while there is high demand for tickets in KSRTC’s AC buses as well. Meanwhile, in addition to the regular services, the KSRTC has already announced special AC buses on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode routes. However, the tickets in these buses sold out within minutes. 21 AC buses, including 12 low-floor air-conditioned buses, run services in the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam route. The corporation is also considering launching business-class bus services on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam route. 

Authorities not listening
Meanwhile, passengers have been urging the authorities to allot more AC chair car coaches in the intercity trains running across Kerala. Currently, there is only one AC chair car coach on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam Vanchinadu, Ernakulam-Kannur, and Alappuzha-Kannur intercity express trains. Although one AC chair car could be added to each of these trains without reducing the number of general coaches, the authorities don’t seem to pay heed to passengers’ demand. Meanwhile, the passengers have been demanding that two AC chair car coaches and two general second class compartments be added to the Thiruvananthapuram-Guruvayoor intercity, which currently has only 18 coaches. Ernakulam-Bengaluru intercity too has only two AC chair car coaches. It is possible to add up to 2 more coaches to the train, which has 20 coaches. 

Although various rail passenger associations had submitted representations urging that the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat train, with only eight coaches, be converted into a regular train with 20 coaches, no action has been taken yet. Besides, the order allowing an AC coach on the Palakkad-Thoothukudi Palaruvi Express was later cancelled. The order was cancelled as the electrical department stated that AC coaches cannot be allowed in the Punalur-Sengottai Gat section. However, trains such as Ernakulam-Velankanni, Chennai-Kollam Express, and Madurai-Guruvayoor Express run in the Gat section with AC coaches. Passengers wonder why Palaruvi cannot have AC coaches while these trains can.