Date:26/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/26/stories/2007062655500500.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Railways earmark de-reserved coaches

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: In order to facilitate travel of short-distance commuters and season ticket holders, Railways have earmarked some sleeper class coaches in select trains as ‘de-reserved’ ones between specific stations.

Railways have sought the State Government’s assistance for providing protection to ticket-checking staff on trains, ticket issuing staff and platform staff to enable them to discharge their duties.

Addressing a press conference here recently, Divisional Railway Manager S. Vijayakumaran said Railways had urged the Government to increase the patrolling on trains by the Government Railway Police in view of ticket-less travel and manhandling of Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTE) and ticket-checking squad by commuters.

It also sought assistance of the Government for entrusting the monitoring of crowds on trains to the personnel of the Rail Alert and for quick action on messages passed on to it by railway staff.

Railways suggested reduction in bus fare for short-distance commuters, improving roads in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kazhakuttam and Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam stretches and a dedicated commuter train corridor.

Mr. Vijayakumaran said Railways had taken up the matter with Minister for Law M. Vijayakumar, the Director-General of Police and the Principal Secretary, Transport, and hoped that appropriate action would be taken.

Railways were under pressure from commuters, especially those holding season tickets, to travel on reserved coaches. “We cannot accommodate season ticket holders on reserved coaches. We have to evict them and take action. Railways take up the exercise in the genuine interest of reserved passengers’ security. Hence, TTEs have to carry out checks on a regular basis,” he said.