This is a story of numbers, as it is a story of cities, but not a complicated one. Plain and simple mathematics when you look at it from my perspective, and from any common man's or business man's perspective. And those numbers portray a simple murky scheme, the way we, the people, are held at ransom by a few 'real' bourgeois, not the extinct feudal variety our Commie friends fight in their dreams.
Now aren't we all able to see through that?
The numbers & information in this post are mostly derived from Indianrailinfo.com. Sleeper Class data is based on the total SL coaches allocated to a train and does not reflect on the actual no of seats available for reservation between two cities. Eg: Kottayam- Bangalore sector may only have approx 100 berths in a 10 Sleeper Class, 720-seater Express Train. Trivandrum Central has been used as the base point for the post.
City #1 Mangalore
Distance: 635 km
Capital of Dhakshina Kannada
Gateway to Konkan Railway and on to Mumbai and Gujarat
2 lakh Malayalees
Commercially imprtant city for North Malabar and a major educational hub for the whole of Kerala
Major Port and industrial city
Connectivity:
Road: Numerous Bus operators run overnight from all major towns.
Air: Kingfisher and Air India Express fly direct from Cochin
Railways:
City #2 Chennai
Distance from Trivandrum: 909 km
Capital of Tamil Nadu
Major transit point for air travel and other Indian cities
5 lakh Malayalees
South India's major industrial, IT and entertainment hub.
Connectivity:
Road: State and Private operators ply overnight luxury bus services.
Air: Around half a dozen daily flights from Cochin and Trivandrum.
Railways:
City #3 Bangalore
Distance 840 km
Karnataka Capital City
IT hub of India; important city for Kerala's lone growing industry
10 lakh Malayalees
Connectivity:
Road: Private bus operators make merry at nearly double the fares on Chennai sector (for lesser distance)
Air: Over half a dozen daily flights from Cochin and Trivandrum.
Railway:
This Bangalore situation is so diabolical when you see that even Air travel is so well flourishing between Bangalore and Cochin/ Trivandrum, so demand or viability for another half-a-dozen daily Super Fasts is clear as daylight. Even Mumbai, a distant 1600+km of wilderness away from Trivandrum has 3 daily trains from Kerala, and a total of 17 trains a week passing through Panvel or directly to CST/ Kurla.
There've been persistent demands and agitations for better rail connectivity to Bangalore ever since the city gained its IT Hub status over 20 years back, and the excruciatingly slow Island Express is the lone daily train connecting Kerala's IT Hub at Trivandrum. Apart from the erratic new weekly services announced once in a blue moon, and that too deliberately on low-demand days, these petitions and cries have fallen on deaf ears.
The last of this cruel treatment of public has been the sudden rescheduling of the #12683 Ernakulam- Bangalore Express, which, following passenger agitation has been reinstated. [See Facebook page of Save 12683 Express for more details]
I'm drawing no conclusions to the tale; I leave you to draw your own. But is it too hard to understand, analyse or guess how Indian Railways are acting a business accomplice to private transport establishments?
As I said in the beginning, who isn't able to see the scheme of things? Crystal balls anyone?
Now aren't we all able to see through that?
The numbers & information in this post are mostly derived from Indianrailinfo.com. Sleeper Class data is based on the total SL coaches allocated to a train and does not reflect on the actual no of seats available for reservation between two cities. Eg: Kottayam- Bangalore sector may only have approx 100 berths in a 10 Sleeper Class, 720-seater Express Train. Trivandrum Central has been used as the base point for the post.
Distance: 635 km
Capital of Dhakshina Kannada
Gateway to Konkan Railway and on to Mumbai and Gujarat
2 lakh Malayalees
Commercially imprtant city for North Malabar and a major educational hub for the whole of Kerala
Major Port and industrial city
Connectivity:
Road: Numerous Bus operators run overnight from all major towns.
Air: Kingfisher and Air India Express fly direct from Cochin
Railways:
- 6 daily Express trains including Netravati Express.
- Total no: of trains available per week between two cities 15. This includes a Rajadhani Express, Kerala Samparka Kranthi and Kochuveli- Mumbai Garib Rath.
- Another half a dozen trains run via Mangalore from Ernakulam.
- Sleeper Class coaches available per week: 140 including 6 Super Fast services [inclusive of a Rajadhani, Samparka Kranti and Garib Rath] Two daily day-services, Parasuram and Eranad Expresses also service the two cities.
City #2 Chennai
Distance from Trivandrum: 909 km
Capital of Tamil Nadu
Major transit point for air travel and other Indian cities
5 lakh Malayalees
South India's major industrial, IT and entertainment hub.
Connectivity:
Road: State and Private operators ply overnight luxury bus services.
Air: Around half a dozen daily flights from Cochin and Trivandrum.
Railways:
- 4 daily Express trains, exclusive between Chennai & Trivandrum. The new budget has presented another Duranto which takes the number to 5
- 3 more Express/ Super Fast daily services from Ernakulam.
- Korba- Akalyanagari- Raptisagar Expresses which operates on all days except Friday, run via Chennai Central.
- Total trains connecting Chennai to Trivandrum stands at 11
- Sleeper Class coaches available per week: 126. Includes 6 Super-Fasts [viz the Chennai Mail and the newly introducing Duranto]
Distance 840 km
Karnataka Capital City
IT hub of India; important city for Kerala's lone growing industry
10 lakh Malayalees
Connectivity:
Road: Private bus operators make merry at nearly double the fares on Chennai sector (for lesser distance)
Air: Over half a dozen daily flights from Cochin and Trivandrum.
Railway:
- 1 daily train from Trivandrum! That too the moving disgrace called Island Express.
- Another daily express operates from Ernakulam.
- A total of 6 trains connect Bangalore all the way down to Trivandrum
- Sleeper class coaches available per week: 64.
- One lone Superfast which runs 1 day a week! Then there's a tri-weekly GaribRath. So in fact, the no: of daily Super Fast trains connecting Trivandrum and Bangalore is a big, fat, mind-boggling 0
This Bangalore situation is so diabolical when you see that even Air travel is so well flourishing between Bangalore and Cochin/ Trivandrum, so demand or viability for another half-a-dozen daily Super Fasts is clear as daylight. Even Mumbai, a distant 1600+km of wilderness away from Trivandrum has 3 daily trains from Kerala, and a total of 17 trains a week passing through Panvel or directly to CST/ Kurla.
There've been persistent demands and agitations for better rail connectivity to Bangalore ever since the city gained its IT Hub status over 20 years back, and the excruciatingly slow Island Express is the lone daily train connecting Kerala's IT Hub at Trivandrum. Apart from the erratic new weekly services announced once in a blue moon, and that too deliberately on low-demand days, these petitions and cries have fallen on deaf ears.
The last of this cruel treatment of public has been the sudden rescheduling of the #12683 Ernakulam- Bangalore Express, which, following passenger agitation has been reinstated. [See Facebook page of Save 12683 Express for more details]
I'm drawing no conclusions to the tale; I leave you to draw your own. But is it too hard to understand, analyse or guess how Indian Railways are acting a business accomplice to private transport establishments?
As I said in the beginning, who isn't able to see the scheme of things? Crystal balls anyone?
Spot on! We Bangalore Malayalees have been at the receiving end of the railways' complacency for years now. The high handedness private bus operators show cannot be described in words. 1200 is a Bangalore - Ernakulam ticket on weekends, and during festival seasons it can go up to 2000! Last Christmas season, I know people who paid Rs.3200 for a one way ticket on a rickety front engined Leyland (air) bus. Pleas to start more trains have always fallen on deaf ears, and we continue to suffer. And people, of course, shut up and take it up their backsides, shelling out 10000+ for a return trip per family. Unfortunately, nothing can be done. Everyone makes money at the expense of us "kazhutha pothujanam".
ReplyDeleteOommen Chandy and his entire cabinet is visiting delhi this August. He is currently inviting suggestions on stuffs that he should discuss with the Central government.
ReplyDeleteCheck this out: http://www.keralacm.gov.in/index.php/cms-letters
It would be nice if you can put a cut short version of the same here http://www.keralacm.gov.in/index.php/citizen-journalism
I've experienced this in Bangalore over the last 3 years..The unholy nexus between the bus operators and the powers that be is pretty clear... Its a mad rush especialy during festive season and the bus owners make serious money...2000 per ticket! This is why I somehow avoid the buses most of the time..Have heard stories about E.Ahmed pulling strings from behind and playing spoilsport with the plan to make kochuveli express a daily train..
ReplyDeletecant be more accurate than this..i sincerely wish people realise this big public gimmick!!!
ReplyDeleteexcellent analysis.....i hope this reaches wider places...
Its hard to believe top management in Railways failed to identify such a profitable route.
ReplyDeleteHi Anish,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the analysis. Although I am not sure if there is enough room for Maneuvering and introducing new possible trains. I mean the railways are reported to be working in more than its operational capacity.
It is beyond just railways I guess. Partly I feel the huge traffic volume especially between Kerala and cities other Indian seems to because of lack of relevant opportunities back home. It can only somewhat be reduced by having new urban centers within and near Kerala which can provide employment. For eg. Coimbatore has started attracting a lot of MNCs both in IT and engineering space.
- Deeps
@ Deeps, Transportation services isn't just about moving people from A to B but crucial to the economic prosperity of any city. The better connected you are the more progress your city/ state achieves. Technopark is expecting another 20,000 new software engineers in TCS Global Training Center and the TCS Development Center alone in the next 2-3 years, so that simply means more people shuttling b/w more cities. Once Trivandrum/ Cochin develop further as an IT destination there will be even further demand for better connectivity. So doesn't matter if the development happens in A or B but it is a pre-requisite that our cities are well connected by road, rail and air to the nearby Metropolitan urban centers, Bangalore being #1 on that list.
ReplyDelete@ Praveen, Cherian, Ajith... thanks for your responses mates :)