The Tatanagar-Ernakulam weekly train, which currently runs twice a week from Tatanagar to Ernakulam on Sundays and Thursdays, will now operate five days a week starting January 1st, 2024. The train will depart from Tatanagar on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This decision was made after the South Eastern Zone...
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submitted a proposal to the Railway Board in September 2022. The proposal was approved and a letter was issued on December 20th. The increase in the frequency of the train comes after several requests from local residents and politicians, including Durga Prasad Sharma, General Secretary of the Andhra Bhakta Shriram Mandir, and Congress leader Jimmy Bhaskar. They had been advocating for a change in the train schedule and an increase in the frequency for a long time. The Tatanagar-Ernakulam train replaced the daily Alleppey Express after the Railway Board ordered the closure of the link train. This was due to the fact that the Alleppey Express was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the train was not viable due to the need to combine coaches from different locations. Durga Prasad Sharma also highlighted that the current departure time of the Ernakulam train from Tatanagar at 5:00 AM makes it difficult for people from remote areas in Kolhan to reach Tatanagar in time. He has suggested that the train should depart later in the day, either at 8:00 or 9:00 AM, or at the same time as the Alleppey Express.