The Southern Railway will deploy additional coaches on select Kerala train services to handle the anticipated surge in passengers during the extended Independence Day weekend, which this year falls on a Friday.
According to a statement from the zonal railway, the Maveli Express (Train No. 16604) from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Mangaluru Central will run with one extra Sleeper Class coach on August 14, 17, and 18, and one additional AC Three-Tier coach on August 15. The return service, Maveli Express (Train No. 16603) from Mangaluru Central to Thiruvananthapuram Central, will get one extra Sleeper Class coach on August 16 and 17, and one AC Three-Tier coach on August 14.
Similarly, the Malabar Express (Train No. 16629) from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Mangaluru Central will have one additional Sleeper Class coach on August 14, 17, and 18, and one extra AC Three-Tier coach on August 15. The return service, Malabar Express (Train No. 16630) from Mangaluru Central to Thiruvananthapuram Central, will get one additional Sleeper Class coach on August 16 and 17, and one AC Three-Tier coach on August 14.
The move aims to ease travel congestion during the holiday period and provide more comfort to passengers. Rail authorities have urged travellers to check updated schedules and availability while booking tickets to take advantage of the additional capacity.