Kochi: The acute shortage of coaches has forced the railways to run passenger trains in the State with lesser coaches than originally allotted, resulting in overcrowding during peak hours.
An RTI query has revealed that the Palakkad Division alone has a shortage of 16 coaches. “As on date, with a total of 16 general coaches short in various passenger trains, the division is operating 36 passenger trains,” said a reply to an RTI query filed by college student Ajay S. Kumar.
The main passenger trains affected are Mangalore Central-Kozhikode, Kozhikode-Kannur, Kozhikode-Thrissur, Kannur-Cheravathoor, Kannur-Coimbatore, Shornur Jn-Nilambur Road and Coimbatore-Thrissur.
A passenger train usually operates with 14 coaches but often runs with one or two bogies less due to coach shortage. The Thiruvananthapuram Division too faces the issue.
“Yes…we have shortage of general coaches in passenger trains though there is no shortage of bogies for Express trains,” said a senior official. However, what also worries commuters is the use of “aged coaches”.
At least 75 per cent of coaches plying from Thiruvananthapuram Division are corroded and worn out while 920 of the total 1,560 coaches are aged, revealed another RTI query filed by Kowdiar Harikumar.
