Kerala govt requests Railway Ministry for stops at Tirur, Thiruvalla for Vande Bharat express

The Kerala government on Wednesday requested the Railway Ministry to allocate Vande Bharat Express stops at Tirur and Tiruvalla in Malappuram and Pathanamthitta  districts of the state, citing heavy passenger traffic at both places.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav asking him to consider the legitimate demand of train passengers to stop at Tirupur and Tiruvalla. Vijayan said that Tirur is an important railway station on the Southern Railway’s Shoranur-Mangalore section and has been included in the Amrita Bharat scheme to develop it as a model station.
“This area has heavy passenger traffic both north and south. Similarly, Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district is also a station with high passenger traffic on the railway map of Kerala,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the state welcomed the allotment of Vande Bharat train to Kerala and it would be of great help to train passengers if the requests for stopping at two very important railway stations were considered soon.

The Kerala High Court recently dismissed a public interest litigation seeking an order to the Railways to allow a stop at Tirur, saying that if every individual in every district starts clamoring for a stop of his choice, “the very purpose of setting up high-speed trains will be lost”.

“High speed trains like Vande Bharat should not be given stops based on personal or vested interests. The term ‘express train’ itself becomes a misnomer if stops are provided on public demand,” the court said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express from Thiruvananthapuram railway station on April 25. The Vande Bharat Express is being touted by many as an alternative to the LDF government’s ambitious plans for a semi-high-speed rail link called the Silverline, which would connect the state capital to the northern Kerala district of Kasaragod.