The railway ministry has approved extending the Kollam–Kottayam MEMU service to Ernakulam, a move expected to ease severe evening crowding on the Venad Express and improve daily rail access for passengers across five Kerala districts. The service timetable and stoppages will be issued in an official notification on Monday, according to the report.
The decision covers a proposed extension of the existing Kollam–Kottayam MEMU to Ernakulam. The precise operating times, halts and implementation details have not yet been announced. Those details are expected to be included in the notification from the railway authorities.
The approval follows repeated representations by Mavelikara MP Kodikunnil Suresh to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Railway Board and the Southern Railway. According to a Facebook post cited in the report, the MP had sought an additional evening train before the Venad Express and the extension of the existing MEMU service to Ernakulam.
The representations focused on the conditions faced by passengers travelling on the Venad Express in the evening. Suresh said women, children and senior citizens were often unable to find space to sit or even stand safely. He said photographs and videos showing the crowding were presented to the railway minister while requesting additional capacity on the route.
The MP also said that a letter regarding the issue was submitted on October 3. Following discussions, directions were passed from the minister’s office to the Railway Board and then to Southern Railway, according to the account cited by Malayala Manorama. The latest approval is being described as the outcome of those continued interventions.
The proposed extension has significance beyond the two termini. The report identifies Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kollam as the districts whose regular passengers could benefit from the service. It specifically names Chengannur, Cheriyanad, Mavelikara, Kayamkulam, Sasthamkotta and Munrothuruthu among the areas expected to gain improved travel access.
For these passengers, the operational value of the decision will depend on the final timetable, stopping pattern and the time gap between the MEMU and the Venad Express. The forthcoming notification will establish whether the extended service functions as an additional evening option and how effectively it serves the stations along the route.
The episode also highlights the capacity pressure on Kerala’s busy rail corridors, where a single heavily used express can become the principal evening option for daily commuters. In this case, the ministry’s approval responds to a demand for more distributed passenger capacity, but the immediate effect on crowding will only be clear after the service schedule and commencement arrangements are formally issued.
The railway ministry’s notification on Monday will be the next formal milestone. It is expected to specify the new MEMU’s schedule, stations and operational details before the extension becomes a working passenger service.
