Too Many Halts Hamper Train Speed Upgrade on Tvm-Ekm Stretch: Rlys

Working on increasing speed of trains with over 10 halts without cutting down on no. of stops

- JOSE K JOSEPH @T'Puram

EXCESSIVE stops of several trains are posing a hindrance to increasing the top speed on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam stretch to 110 kmph. And, MPs and MLAs continue to press for additional halts, undermining the efforts of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division, according to sources with Southern Railways.

While trains like Vande Bharat to Kasaragod and Mangaluru have the advantage of higher speeds, others such as Venad Express, with 19 halts, Thiruvananthapuram-Guruvayur Intercity, with 14 halts, and Vanchinad Express, with 17, run at an average speed of just 45-50 kmph between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. Other trains with over 10 stops on the stretch also struggle to cross this speed range.