Kochi: The Railways have shocked people of Alappuzha by suggesting to divert the second Vande Bharat Express via Kottayam to solve the issue of rescheduling of other trains through this route, media reports said.
The news has boomeranged on the CPM MP A M Arif who led a public protest against the rescheduling of two local trains, the reports said.
The introduction of Vande Bharat trains via Kottayam and Alappuzha had forced the railways to reschedule timing of a few trains.
While there was no protest from people traveling via Kottayam, those in Alappuzha routes organised a protest led by Arif the other day against the railways revising departure time of two trains.
The protest is over rescheduling of trains
06451 Ernakulam-Kayamkulam and 06452 Alappuzha-Ernakulam.
The train, 06451, which used to depart at 06.00 PM from Ernakulam junction and reach Kayamkulam at 09.05 PM, now departs at 06.25 PM and reaches Kayamkulam by 09.05 AM.
The other train 06452, which used to depart from Alappuzha at 6:00 PM and reach Ernakulam by 07.35 PM, now departs at 06.20 PM and reaches Ernakulam by 07.50 PM. The travel time has been reduced due to the increase in speed of these trains.
The other day Arif had joined a public protest on the Alappuzha-Ernakulam MEMU demanding restoration of departure time of Kayamkulam passenger from Ernakulam at 6.00 pm which was rescheduled to 06.25 pm, the reports said.
