Unannounced midnight detention of train upsets pilgrims’ travel plans to Guruvayur

Railways have recently been giving night passengers a harrowing experience by detaining trains for hours after midnight for maintenance work. As a result, night train journeys are often delayed by three to four hours without notice. According to passengers, Train No. 16127 Chennai-Guruvayur Express is the only daily night train to Kerala Central after Mangalore Express (16347) which departs from Thiruvananthapuram Central at 8.55 pm.

Additionally, the Guruvayur Express, which departs from Thiruvananthapuram Central at 12.25 am, is the primary mode of transport for pilgrims from southern Kerala traveling to Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple for early morning darshan. However, the train is frequently detained for several hours to facilitate track maintenance without prior notice to passengers.

As a result, passengers complained that the train, which left the capital at midnight due to unannounced detention, reached Guruvayur only after 9 am, disrupting the pilgrims’ darshan plans. “There is nothing wrong in detaining the train to facilitate maintenance work. However, Railways should announce such delays in advance so that passengers can avoid an embarrassing situation in the middle of the night,” said V. Sivadasan, a native of Alappuzha.

big disadvantage

Meanwhile, Railways’ recent decision to upgrade Jan Shatabdi Express trains with modern LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches has come as a huge relief to passengers. However, the improved buses also created discomfort for passengers due to the new upright row seats that had little or no recline angle. Passengers claimed that traveling for four to six hours in these seats often led to back pain and a harrowing experience.

Old Jan Shatabdi Express coaches were equipped with separate reclining seats with armrests, which have now been replaced by bench seats. However, railway officials said that while old seats and their accessories were often damaged, such damage was less likely with the new seating arrangement. This was one of the main reasons for introducing the new seating arrangement, officials said.