Three years ago, during the onset of the Covid pandemic, Indian Railways transformed all passenger trains into ‘Express Specials,’ charging triple the usual fare—a practice that persists today. Apart from fare concerns, this change has left many passengers at smaller stations stranded, as authorities have yet to reinstate all halts from the pre-Covid era.
J Lyons, Secretary of Friends on Rails, expressed frustration: “They have taken away many stops of Express trains promising that they will run MEMU and passenger services to accommodate the passengers from small stations. But what they have done is just the opposite, taking away the stops of passenger trains too by terming them ‘Express Specials.’ These trains don’t have stops at small stations where the passenger trains earlier used to halt.”
Stations like Akattumuri, Kappil, Perinad, Cheriyanad, and Chingavanam in the Ernakulam-Alappuzha section are affected. The commuting challenges intensify in this section due to NH flyover works, making road journeys difficult. Eswar K K, a retired bank employee, criticized the rerouting of the Ernakulam-Alappuzha-Kollam passenger train, stating, “With the NH works commencing, what they should have done is to increase the passenger train services to facilitate the travel by the local residents.”
Railway officials argue that the measure was taken due to low passenger patronage, a claim rejected by commuters. Easwar, a frequent commuter, asserted, “All the trains were running to full capacity before they started charging thrice the fare in the name of ‘Express Specials’. Now the minimum fare is Rs 30 instead of Rs 10 earlier.”
Despite petitions and efforts by the ‘Friends of Railways,’ the issue remains unresolved. Lyons emphasized the daily commuter’s plight, citing reduced general coaches in Express trains. The demand is clear: the restoration of passenger trains and reinstatement of all stops.
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