Protests mount over withdrawal of Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat train before Onam
The Hindu
Outrage over discontinuation of Vande Bharat Express between Ernakulam and Bengaluru, demands for service restoration and regularisation.
The discontinuation from Monday of the tri-weekly Vande Bharat Express train operating between Ernakulam and Bengaluru as a special train has invited all-round flak from commuters and people’s representatives, especially since the Railways preferred to withdraw the train despite the impending Onam festival season.
The Railways must review the decision and restore the service as the move has dashed the hopes of tens of thousands of people from Kerala employed in Bengaluru, said Hibi Eden, MP.
“They were banking on Vande Bharat Express and other trains to travel back to the State for Onam. The Railways must at least clarify whether they would restore the service as a special train,” he said in a letter addressed to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Railway Minister.
The Vande Bharat service was operating with full seat occupancy, despite its (early morning) starting time from Bengaluru. The discontinuation of the service has caught passengers unawares, since seats are not any more available for the Onam season on most trains that operate to Kerala from Bengaluru, Mr. Eden said.
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas too, in a letter to the Railway Minister, sought continuation and regularisation of the Vande Bharat Express service. Citing the high occupancy rate of 105% in the Ernakulam-Bengaluru corridor, he raised concern at its abrupt suspension, hinting at possible influence from the (inter-State) private bus lobby.
The All Kerala Railway Passengers’ Association and the Kerala-Bengaluru Train Users’ Forum reiterated their demand to convert the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat service as a daily service. They also sought allocation of a 16-coach rake, citing the increasing demand in the corridor for the service.
“Or else, commuters will be at the mercy of private bus operators who charge over double the rail fare. The travel demand in the corridor is expected to peak in the coming four months, during the Onam- Navarathri- Christmas- New Year season. The Railways must also rise up to commuter expectations and allot a daily train between Kozhikode and Bengaluru,” said Venkitesh T.G., secretary of the Kerala-Bengaluru Train Users’ Forum.
Maharashtra's 29 civic bodies, including Mumbai, hold elections with 3.48 crore voters choosing 2,869 corporators amid intense competition.
Congress leader B.V. Rajeev Gowda from Shidlaghatta in Chikkaballapur district allegedly threatened the Municipal Commissioner of the town of setting fire to her office and getting her beaten up, and used abusive language, over a flex and banner that was removed for violating norms.
Police in Vizag seize 650 rolls of banned Chinese manjha amid safety concerns as illegal sales continue ahead of Sankranti.
Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar clarifies Rahul Gandhi's message was simply to continue good work, dismissing any speculation.
Over 51,000 hearings in Ernakulam help reinstate voting rights as part of the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.
The foundation stone for the construction of Shri Parashurama Swagata Gopura (Welcome Tower) in the northern entry to Udupi city will be laid by Yashpal Suvarna, Udupi MLA and president of Shiroor Mutt Paryaya Swagata Samiti on January 16.
The municipal bus stand auditorium in Malappuram was packed. But nobody quite knew what to expect. After all, a new event was making its debut at the State School Arts Festival. The moment V.G. Harikrishnan started his rendition of Pyar bhare do sharmile nain..., everyone was convinced that Ghazal was here to stay. The student from GVHSS, Atholi (Kozhikode), was applauded loudly for his rendering of the timeless ghazal sung originally by Mehdi Hassan.
Join influential discussions at The Hindu Lit for Life festival in Chennai on January 17-18, 2024.
For the last few weeks, several wards in Madurai city have been getting piped drinking water through a new drinking water scheme. The sweetness of the generously supplied water has led to loss of business to several suppliers of canned drinking water in the city. But, not many know that the water supplied to the houses in Madurai is directly drawn from Lower Dam of Mullaperiyar Dam in Idukki district of Kerala.
A 20-acre farm on the St Xavier’s College campus at Thumba run by State Award-winning farmer S.V. Sujith had visitors from the Iowa State University, U.S., on Tuesday.
NGT issues notices to U.P., M.P., and Rajasthan over sewage contamination in drinking water, citing serious health risks.
Last-minute Pongal shoppers crowd Tiruchi's markets, boosting sales for traders amid rising prices for fruits and festive items.
Confusing coalitions and absent accountability raise voter concerns as Mumbai's civic elections approach amidst air quality neglect.