Thiruvananthapuram: Vande Bharat train between Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru was delayed by one hour on Monday, inconveniencing passengers who pay a premium fare. The train has been suffering delays for many days.Several people travelling home for Vishu holidays suffered as they waited on Platform 1 for close to an hour for the train at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station. This posed inconvenience to other passengers rushing to board the evening passenger services to north because the platform was packed with people waiting with luggage. The train arrived from Mangaluru around 5pm and the railways had to make announcements urging the waiting passengers to let people get off before boarding. As the train arrived late, people boarded the coaches that were not cleaned and it departed soon after water and food were loaded at 5.19pm. The departure time was 4.05pm. The delayed departure affected the people who were travelling to Kollam, Kozhikode and Kannur because the train reached these stations after an hour’s delay, forcing people to reach their destinations late at night. P Shilpa, a resident of Kozhikode, said the train seems to be delayed quite frequently. “It should have reached Tirur at 9.02pm but reached at 10.45pm. That means a delay of almost two hours to Kozhikode. People spend so much to travel by the premium train because it is punctual and convenient. There is no point if the train is going to be delayed,” she added. The delayed running of Vande Bharat is also affecting other trains, which get held up en route because priority is given for the premium service. Liyons J of Friends on Rails said the train is via Alappuzha, where crossings delay trains. Trains via Alappuzha coastal route, including Nizamuddin Express, are often held up at stations because the line is yet to be doubled. “The delay in Vande Bharat will impact other trains. It is a premium train that should be operated punctually,” he added. The train that left Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday was delayed for five minutes at Kollam and 10 minutes at Ernakulam.
