MP raises regional disparity, seeks additional services via Kozhikode
Kozhikode — Kozhikode MP M.K. Raghavan on Wednesday met Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi and urged prompt corrective action over what he described as a severe shortage of Onam special train services for north Kerala and the Malabar region.
Raghavan drew the Railway Minister’s attention to what he termed a persistent regional disparity in the special services announced by Southern Railway for the festival season, saying that over 80 per cent of the announced specials were concentrated on south Kerala while very few were allotted to Malabar — a region heavily dependent on expat remittances and seasonal passenger movement.
- MP sought additional special trains from Chennai and Bengaluru to Mangaluru via Kozhikode to meet the festive rush.
- He asked for an increase in the number of sleeper carriages on an existing Chennai–Mangaluru special scheduled for Uthradam and for extra carriages to be attached to regular trains serving north Kerala during August 14–September 6.
- Railway Minister assured that necessary and prompt action would be taken, according to the MP.
Raghavan highlighted the inadequacy of a Chennai–Mangaluru special that has been allotted only six sleeper carriages despite carrying significant ordinary-fare demand on the day of Uthradam. He said the train also included 10 AC carriages across third AC and second AC classes, but that many ordinary passengers could not afford AC fares.
"The special train running from Chennai to Mangaluru on the day of Uthradam is completely inadequate to manage the massive passenger rush to Malabar," the MP said in New Delhi.
The MP pressed for additional services originating from Chennai and Bengaluru to Mangaluru with routing via Kozhikode, arguing that such links would better serve the large number of passengers travelling home to Malabar for Onam, including expatriates, IT professionals and students. He also urged immediate attachment of extra carriages to regular services passing through north Kerala during the peak travel window from August 14 to September 6.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Allocation emphasis | Over 80% of announced specials focused on south Kerala (MP's claim) |
| Chennai–Mangaluru special (Uthradam) | 6 sleeper carriages; 10 AC carriages (3A & 2A) |
| Requested action | Additional specials from Chennai & Bengaluru via Kozhikode; more sleeper coaches; attach extra coaches to regular trains (Aug 14–Sep 6) |
Officials in the Railway Ministry were reported to have given an assurance of prompt action, the MP said. No further operational details or firm confirmations of coach augmentations were released at the time of the meeting.
For residents of Kozhikode and neighbouring Malabar districts, Onam travel is a major seasonal movement: large numbers of non-resident Keralites and workers based outside the state converge on hometowns ahead of the festival. In recent years, pressure on reservation systems and demand for affordable sleeper-class travel have made allocation and augmentation of special trains a recurring issue during festive peaks.
Railway planning for festival traffic typically balances available rolling stock, crew and track capacity across the Southern Railway network. Passenger groups and elected representatives from different regions regularly seek redistributions when allocations appear uneven. The MP’s demand places particular emphasis on ensuring affordable, non-AC accommodation for those who cannot meet higher fares in air-conditioned coaches.
Raghavan’s intervention follows a pattern of constituency-level representations to the Railways ahead of major festivals. Kozhikode travellers and commuter groups will be watching for concrete announcements from Southern Railway or the Railway Board on coach additions and any extra special services routed through Kozhikode in the coming days.
Any operational changes — additional specials, extra coaches or re-routing — will be subject to logistics and approvals from the Railway authorities, and passengers are advised to monitor official Railway announcements and reservation portals for updates.
