THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As a sigh of relief, a special train service will be run to Kerala during Onam. On behalf of the state government, KV Thomas had written to the Union Railway Minister asking for a special service from various states to Kerala as a solution for the rush.

The Panvel-Nagarcoil special train allotted for Onam will run its first service on August 22. The first service is from Nagercoil to Panvel. It will reach Nagercoil on August 24. A total of three services will be operated to and from Kerala till September 7. Due to the Onam season, train ticket bookings filled fast and bus ticket prices increased dramatically, causing financial difficulties for the Malayalis in various states. The special train will come as a relief to many.

Earlier, a letter was sent to the Centre by lawmakers including Minister V. Abdur Rahiman requesting a special train, but there was no response. Later, the government intervened in this matter through the special representative of the state, KV Thomas. He had written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asking for a special train from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad to Kerala.