Railways' new strategy to increase revenue; misery for season ticket holders

KOLLAM: Season ticket holders will be facing more hardships as de-reserved coaches in morning and evening trains are being cut short. The existing de-reserved coaches are being cut short when the reserved and sleeper coaches in many trains are empty. This will create a situation where regular commuters are crowded into general coaches and faint.

Season ticket holders board trains mostly between 5:30 am and 10:00 am and 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Seven trains leave for Thiruvananthapuram via Kollam Railway Station between 5:30 am and 9:45 am. Of these, all are general coaches in Vanchinad and Intercity trains. Four of the remaining five trains do not have de-reserved coaches. Only Malabar has one de-reserved coach. Although there are six regular trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam in the evening, only Malabar, which reaches Kollam at 7:08 pm, has one de-reserved coach.

On average, there are only four general coaches in trains except Vanchinad, Intercity and Passenger. One each for parcels and disabled people. Season ticket holders are forced to travel suffocatingly in the remaining two general coaches.

Goal, revenue increase

The Railways is cutting down on de-reserved coaches to increase revenue by allocating maximum berths for reservation. When there is a protest, a coach is made a de-reserved coach, but the Railways' strategy is to cut the coach again within months.

Morning trains to Thiruvananthapuram

(Train, time of arrival in Kollam, de-reserved coach)

Chennai Superfast-5.57, 0

Malabar-6.22, 1

Jayanthi Janatha-7.12, 0

Bangalore-Kochuveli-7.22, 0

Chennai Mail-9.45, 0

Evening trains from Thiruvananthapuram

Kochuveli-Bangalore-5.57, 0

Chennai Superfast-6.15, 0

Malabar- 8, 1

Maveli- 8.22, 0