Passengers call for more coaches on Vande Bharat trains in India

Passengers are urging the Indian Railways to quickly increase the number of coaches on Vande Bharat Express trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangalore and Kasargod. Current services are overcrowded, with demand exceeding capacity by 100-200%. The train to Mangalore has eight coaches, while the Kasargod service has 16. A proposal to upgrade one train to 20 coaches was approved months ago, but the final order is still pending. High patronage is partly due to delays and overcrowding on buses along the route. Passengers believe that increasing coach numbers will also benefit Sabarimala pilgrims. A railway official confirmed that the upgrade is planned but no date has been set.