Though the two Vande Bharat trains introduced on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod route have come as a major relief for passengers keen on fast trains, close to two dozen trains are daily detained by Railways to ensure that the four Vande Bharat trains keep their schedule. This caused inconvenience to passengers who rely on normal trains, alleged Friends on Rail (FOR), a WhatsApp network of over 5,000 train commuters between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram.
The most notorious stretch where trains are detained is Ernakulam-Shoranur-Kayamkulam, where there is only a single line between Ambalappuzha and Ernakulam.
