Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged the railways to allow two more stops for the Vande Bharat train being operated in the state.
In a letter sent to railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday, Vijayan urged that stops may be allowed at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district and Tirur in Malappuram district for the Thiruvananthapuram - Kasargod Vande Bharat train. He said that since a large number of persons were commuting daily from these stations the railways could also increase revenue from Vande Bharat train by allowing stops at these two stations.
There was a strong protest over not allowing a stop for the train at Tirur. The other day a stone was pelted on the train while passing through Malappuram district, causing damage to a windshield.
Railway sources said that allowing more stops would further reduce the travel time of Vande Bharat. Already the train could ply only at an average speed of around 70 kilometres per hour in Kerala owing to the large number of curves in the track. Also, there are complaints that many other trains were not able to keep the schedule as preference is being given to Vande Bharat.
Meanwhile, a person had complained that a dead worm was found in the food served on the train on Tuesday. The passenger lodged a complaint with the railway authorities at Kasargod.
At present Vande Bharat train is having seven stops apart from the Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod.