The Railways opting to ‘divert’ a Vande Bharat Express rake that was brought to Kochuveli earlier this week and ‘planning to operate it on the Mysore-Chennai route’ has come as a disappointment for thousands of IT professionals and others from Kerala who were waiting for the train to operate on the high-in-demand Ernakulam-Bengaluru route, Hibi Eden, MP, has said.
“I had convinced key officials and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of the need for such a service in the corridor where there would be assured patronage. Moreover, the Railways had already spent substantial amounts to upgrade amenities at the marshalling yard here to host the Vande Bharat Express rake for maintenance,” he said.
The diversion of the train has thus come as a shock to commuters, and is yet another example of the ‘neglect’ being shown towards Ernakulam. “I have sent a message in this regard to the Railway Minister, seeking his urgent intervention in the matter,” Mr. Eden said in a release.