No Train Tickets Available Ahead of Assembly Election; Voters Stuck on Waiting Lists

Thiruvananthapuram: Voters are struggling to get seats on trains in the days leading up to the assembly elections. The state elections are scheduled for April 9, and there are no tickets available on any of the trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru on April 8. No special trains have been announced either. A similar situation exists for trains from Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad to Kerala. April 9 falls on a Thursday.

Friday and Monday are working days just before Vishu, which will likely double the rush. This is usually a busy period as it coincides with the school summer vacation. Due to rake maintenance, the Vande Bharat Express will not operate from Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram on the morning of the day before the elections, nor from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru on the evening of the same day.

The waiting lists for the Thiruvananthapuram Express, Maveli Express, and Malabar Express are over 100, while waiting lists for other trains exceed 50. Although the central government has approved stops for some trains on an experimental basis, passenger response has been minimal.

Even though weekly trains have been widely converted into day trains in other zones, the authorities in Southern Railway, which includes Kerala, have not taken similar action. The perceived discrimination against Kerala in railway development has once again become a topic of political discussion.

Ahead of the elections and during Vishu, KSRTC will operate additional services. More buses will run to and from various cities in Kerala from Bengaluru, Mysore, and Chennai. Within Kerala, bus services will be increased according to passenger demand. All necessary arrangements for this have been completed.