The Southern Central Railway’s (SCR) move to shift the primary maintenance of the Secunderabad–Trivandrum–Secunderabad Sabari Express from Telangana to Thiruvananthapuram will affect the interest of passengers from Kerala.According to Thomas Simon, General Secretary, Western India Passengers’ Association, the scarce maintenance slots available in the Thiruvananthapuram Southern Railway division would be usurped by the changes suggested by the SCR.The rakes were hitherto maintained by SCR. At present, four rakes are being used by the railway to hold the Secunderabad-Thiruvananthapuram service. The railway can operate the 17230 / 17229 Sabari Express (1,555 kms one way) on a PFTR (Platform Turn Round) basis with a reduced running time of 25/26 hours at a minimum average speed of 60 kmph. This will save one rake, as the train that reaches Thiruvananthapuram in the evening can depart for Secunderabad a few hours after primary cleaning and by retaining the maintenance slot under the SCR itself.The saved rake can be used for a biweekly Secunderabad–Kottayam–Secunderabad superfast service. Moreover, the southern railway Thiruvananthapuram division can make use of the time slot provided for Sabari Express at 6.45 a.m. for operating a Thiruvananthapuram–Ernakulam–Thiruvananthapuram intercity service with an arrival slot of 6 p.m. at Thiruvananthapuram. Instead, the Sabari Express that arrives at 6.05 p.m. in Thiruvananthapuram can return to Secunderabad on the PFTR basis within a few hours.If the speed of the train is increased and adjusted between various stations, the Sabari Express (17230) can arrive at Thiruvananthapuram before 3 p.m. and can depart between 5 and 6 p.m., said Mr. Simon. At present, the train that reaches Palakkad at 9.20 a.m. reaches Thiruvananthapuram by around 6.05 p.m., taking over nine hours, a harrowing experience for the passengers.On the other hand, the intercity service can provide around 2,000 additional seats for local commuters one way in the peak office hours, a major relief for the daily commuters in the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam sector, where passenger trains are overcrowded. Last year, two women passengers fell unconscious due to suffocation on the overcrowded Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur Venad Express, said Mr. Simon. Published - July 23, 2025 07:28 pm IST