Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Oct 23: Due to covid19, movement of passenger trains all over India came to a standstill from March 22, 2020 onwards. This has put common people and the labour class into a lot of problems.

Under pressure from the general public, Karwar-Margao demu train resumed operations from October 18 this year. But the problem persists for the labour class and the people who travel between districts and states.

Now local trains have not been moving for the last 18 months. Most of the trains have been transformed into express trains as a result of which ticket prices have gone up steeply. Poor people who are already in doldrums are facing the uphill task of meeting the railway fare. Moreover, tickets have to compulsorily be booked in advance. As such, people's attitude towards express trains has been lukewarm. Even the general class is reserved for which the price is much higher.

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In the post-Covid era, train fare from Bhatkal to Udupi has become Rs 92. When passenger trains were available, this travel could have been undertaken for Rs 45 per trip. Already a request to run passenger trains has been made through letter but the response has not been good.

The railway officials feel that making the tickets reserved has the advantage of availability of an exact number of passengers and if there is any Covid patient, his primary contacts can be found easily .

In the past, Mangaluru-Margao passengers and Margao-Mangaluru demu trains were available. Both the trains are not available currently. The condition about reservations creates problems for the illiterates and people who are not well versed with smartphone usage. Therefore the people feel the urgent need for passenger trains.