THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The passengers alleged that railways are deliberately delaying other major trains in Kerala so that the new trains including Vande Bharat run on time. The complaint is that trains like Intercity, Palaruvi, Rajadhani and Ernad are delayed by 45 minutes for Vande Bharat.

The passengers protested in Thiruvananthapuram after Venad which starts at 5.05 am, was rescheduled to 5.25 am. Complaints are being raised that the sudden rescheduling is causing great inconvenience to regular passengers. The Kayamkulam Express departing from Ernakulam at 6.05 pm has been delayed by 40 minutes recently. Trains delayed include Janashtabdi and Nagercoil-Kottayam passenger. The railways claimed that the trains are delayed due to maintenance work.

The passengers are demanding that action be taken against the long delay in trains. K J Paul Manvettam, president of All Kerala Railway Passengers Association said other trains are overcrowded due to the delay in trains.

‘If Venad Express reaches Ernakulam at 9.30 or 9.40 in the morning, it will be a big relief for the passengers. People are now boarding Palaruvi Express instead of Venad. This leads to congestion. Venad reaching at 10 o'clock is a big hassle for office goers. This causes them to be late to office. The authorities should take necessary steps to run the trains on time,’ K J Paul demanded.