Patrons question longer travel time on Nagercoil-Mangaluru Amrit Bharat Express

Railway bosses welcomed the launch of a new Amrit Bharat Express between Nagercoil and Mangaluru Junction, but complained that the train took 17.2 hours to cover a distance of around 700 km, translating to an average speed of around 40 km per hour.

Besides demanding speeding up of the service, they also pressed the Railway Ministry to extend the train to Kanniyakumari at the southern end and Subrahmanya Road/Vasco-da-Gama at the northern end to maximize the benefit of this common man’s premium service to a wider cross-section of customers.

Not suitable for night travel

P. Edward Jeni, Secretary, Kanniyakumari District Railway Users Association, said that the schedule of Nagercoil Junction-Mangaluru Junction Amrit Bharat Weekly express No. 16329/330 is not suitable for night travel needs as it operates mainly during the day.

Train number 16329 departs from Nagerocil at 11.40 am on Tuesdays and reaches Mangaluru Junction at 5 am on Wednesdays, leaving a large gap between Kasargod and Mangaluru Junction. On Wednesdays, it leaves Kasargod at 1.57 am and reaches Mangaluru Junction at 5 am; this takes roughly 3 hours compared to the normal 35-40 minutes with any express train.

Mr. Jeni said the service has 21 stops but is slower than the Nagercoil-Mangaluru Central Parasuram Express, which has 54 stops.

Passenger needs and planning

Stating that there is a clear disconnect between Indian Railways’ passenger needs and planning, Mr. Jeni demanded that the train be extended to Kanniyakumari (Nagercoil side) and Vasco-da-Gama/Madgaon (Mangaluru side).

The proposed train is scheduled to depart from Kanniyakumari around 10 am and reach Vasco at 12.30 pm the next day. He claimed that on the return leg, the train could depart from Vasco at 14:00 and reach Kanniyakumari at noon the next day.

Longer travel time reduces benefits

“The longer journey time of Nagercoil-Mangaluru Junction Amrit Bharat Express service undermines the superior amenities offered by the train,” said B. Shreekara of Puttur Railway Yatri Sangha. He stated that the schedule of Mangaluru Junction-Nagercoil weekly express train No. 16330 is ridiculous as the service operates with sleeper coaches during daylight hours from 8 am to 10 pm.

Stating that there are four pairs of trains between Mangaluru and Nagercoil, Mr. Shreekara suggested extending the Amrit Bharat Express service to Subrahmanya Road to connect the pilgrim town of Kukke Subrahmanya with Thiruvananthapuram, Nagercoil and Kanniyakumari. He also suggested tightening the timetable of the proposed Nagercoil-Subrahmanya Road service, making it a win-win situation for the Railways and the bosses.