For over three and a half decades, residents of Tamil Nadu's southernmost districts have pleaded for a direct overnight train connection to Mangaluru. Their long-standing demand has been reignited by the Kanyakumari District Railway Users' Association (KKDRUA), which has formally urged the railway authorities to extend the services of the 16347/16348 Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Express to Nagercoil.
A 35-Year Struggle for Connectivity
In a strongly-worded letter, KKDRUA president S R Sreeram highlighted the severe travel difficulties faced by passengers from Kanniyakumari and Tirunelveli. For 35 years, these communities have sought a direct overnight train to Mangaluru in Karnataka. Currently, they are forced to depend on bus services to reach Thiruvananthapuram first, just to board this train. The absence of any direct bus or air links between these regions compounds the hardship, making journeys long, tedious, and inconvenient.
Feasible Solution Ignored by Authorities
Sreeram pointed out that the proposed extension is operationally viable. The Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Express has sufficient layover time, and its maintenance could be efficiently managed at either the Nagercoil or Tirunelveli railway stations. Despite this, the long-pending demand of the Kanniyakumari district remains unaddressed by the Thiruvananthapuram division authorities.
The association revealed a disappointing precedent. A few years ago, a top officer from the Southern Railway Operating Department, based in Kerala, shelved the proposed extension of this daily express train to Nagercoil. This decision has left the public demand in limbo.
Questioning Railway's Core Objective
The KKDRUA letter raises a fundamental question about the role of Indian Railways. The primary objective of the railways is to integrate India through its services, Sreeram stated. He expressed surprise and disappointment that the railways have responded in this manner to a genuine, long-standing public need.
He further noted a perplexing administrative contradiction. Since the railway networks in question fall under the same Thiruvananthapuram division, the much-needed extension to Kanniyakumari should be easier to consider. It appears that Indian Railways is confining its operations within state boundaries, he argued. If that is the case, he questioned why the Thiruvananthapuram division continues to control railway infrastructure in another state, referring to the lines in Tamil Nadu.
The association's appeal underscores a critical gap in India's rail connectivity, where inter-state links, especially to peripheral districts, are not being prioritized, forcing passengers to endure decades of inconvenience.
