Protests in north Malabar over Railways’ decision to extend Kannur-bound trains towards Palakkad instead of Kasaragod

A fresh decision by the Railways to extend short-distance trains arriving in Kannur in Kerala towards Palakkad instead of Kasaragod has sparked widespread protests across north Malabar, with rail users saying long-pending passenger demands are being ignored.

The Shoranur-Kannur Special ToD Express, a key service that passengers have been requesting to be extended north to Kasaragod or Manjeswaram, has instead been diverted eastward to Palakkad. The service, which began on July 2 as an ‘On Demand Special train’, will run to Palakkad daily except Saturdays when it will terminate at Shoranur.

An association of passengers says this is a setback for commuters in the northernmost parts of Kerala, especially as nearly nine short-distance trains from the south continue to terminate at Kannur, cutting off convenient evening connections to Kasaragod.

“Currently, no direct daily trains are available from Kozhikode to Kasaragod after 5.10 p.m., forcing passengers to wait till 1.10 a.m. for the next option,” said Nisar Peruvad, coordinator of the Kasaragod Rail Passengers Association.

“The order ignores the realities of Kasaragod’s travel woes,” said Mr. Peruvad.

“While there are multiple demands to extend services northward from Kannur, especially the Shoranur-Kannur Express, this sudden diversion to Palakkad shows a clear disregard for the needs of north Malabar,” he added.

The association criticised “the lack of intervention” by the Kasaragod MP in contrast to efforts by MPs from the other districts who, they said, were actively ensuring improvements to rail connectivity in their regions. They demanded that the MP lead a mass campaign to push for the extension of the Shoranur-Kannur Express northwards.

“There is only one passenger train service from Kannur to Mangaluru via Kasaragod. That’s simply not enough,” said Prashant Kumar, adding that the extension of the Coimbatore-Kannur Express to Mangaluru – already approved in-principle – is yet to materialise.

The association also called upon Kasaragod’s MLAs and other public representatives to step in and press the Railways to prioritise the connectivity needs of the district.