MEMU Flagged off

(Mathrubhumi dt 19-3-2012)

(Malayala Manorama dt 19-3-2012)

Memu service fails to bring relief

Daily Commuters Disappointed With Inconvenient Train Timings

Kochi: Chief minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the much-awaited main line electrical multiple unit (Memu) service on the Ernakulam-Kollam route at the Ernakulam South station on Sunday. But, commuters and passengers association were an unhappy lot after they were told about its service timings. 

    As per the current schedule — one service (via Alappuzha) will begin from Kollam at 9am, reach Ernakulam by 1.15pm and will leave for Kollam at 2pm. The other (via Kottayam) will begin at 10.05 am from Kollam, reach city by 2.25pm and leave by 2.45pm. Passengers say the timings do not help because they need to reach their destination (mainly offices) by around 10 am and since the trains return early, the evening passengers have no respite. 
    When Memu service was announced in the last railway budget, people welcomed it as a huge relief. Kerala Railway Users Association president K J Paul Manvattom said the current Memu schedule is a disappointment for daily commuters who depend on trains to reach their office. “We were expecting a service that would benefit daily commuters because those who travel short distances do not have enough trains and the ones running now are overcrowded. I don’t see passengers reaching office by ten or heading home after work in the evening using Memu service,” he said. 
    However, railways pointed out that single track routes are already congested and they are helpless. Many commuters opined that Memu service should have started on the Palakkad – Ernakulam stretch, where the doubling work is complete. “Already a Memu service connects Coimbatore and Shoranur. It would have been easy to extend the same to Ernakulam,” said general secretary of Thrissur Railway Passengers Association P Krishnakumar. MP P Rajeev said the current timings for the service are odd. “I received a few calls from various passenger associations regarding Memu timings. I brought this to the notice of the divisional railway manager and he has given a favourable reply,” Rajeev said. He added that the manager said that the department is planning to introduce at least two services aday. 
    Meanwhile, a railway official said, the current timings are as per the revised time table released after the last year’s railway budget. “Service on the Ernakulam – Thrissur stretch, announced in this railway budget, will start as soon as we get a new rake,” he said. 
‘Govt to revive old railway station’ Union minister K V Thomas said that authorities will devise a plan to revive the old railway station near the Kerala high court. “I have told the chief minister about this, and he also has some plans. We will discuss the matter and take a favourable decision,” said the union minster.
(Times of India dt 19-3-2012)