Kochi: Train commuters in the state can heave a sigh of relief as the railways on Monday decided to keep in abeyance its controversial decision not to issue sleeper and AC class tickets to unreserved passengers.
“The Railway Board asked both the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad divisions to continue issuing all types of tickets through the counters. The decision has been kept in abeyance so that it could study the difficulties faced by short-distance travellers in the state,” said a senior officer.
On Friday last, both the divisions got the order directing them to stop issuing higher class tickets through counters citing complaints by long-distance passengers that their reserved seats were being occupied by those with unreserved tickets.
While the Palakkad division implemented the order right away, the Thiruvananthapuram division delayed it and wrote to the Railway Board seeking clarifications.
“We received a communication on Monday morning over phone and immediately asked the stations to provide all types of tickets from the counters,” said a spokesperson with the Palakkad division.
“We’ve mainly taken up the difficulties faced by commuters in the state and the possible impact on divisional revenue collections. The Railway Board will study the issues and consider measures like exemption to select trains and operation of more trains within the state,” the officer with the Thiruvananthapuram division said.
Railway Board chairman A.K. Mittal also assured Mr M.B. Rajesh MP, who called on the former in Delhi, that sleeper tickets would continue to be given through the railway counters in the state.
“The relaxation is welcome as most of the trains running through the state are long-distance ones and for major part of their journey through the state, several seats remain vacant in the higher classes,” said Mr P. Krishna Kumar, general secretary, Thrissur Railway Passengers Association.
