Railways gives up move to recall MEMU train

KOCHI:  The railway authorities’ move to recall the Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) train, thatwas brought here for  a trial run, has invited  widespread protests that resulted in cancelling the decision.   Soon after the news broke out that the MEMU brought from Chennai would be taken back without conducting the trial run, DYFI activists led by P Rajeev MP  protested in front of the train, blocking the authorities from taking the train back. Ernakulam area manager of railways George John said that the decision to call back the train was cancelled after contacting the divisional manager in Thiruvananthapuram.The MEMU train was brought from Chennai on Monday night and the trail run was to be started in two days, he said. However, John said that he got information in the evening from Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai that the train had to be sent back.  When contacted, Thiruvananthapuram divisional manager Rajesh Agarwal said that they had got information from Chennai headquarters that the MEMU had to be sent back. “The order says that MEMU was being recalled as the Railways want it to be used for an immediate service in another division,” he said.   The trial run of MEMU train services was to be held between Ernakulam and Kayamkulam stations.The eight new coaches of the train have been built at Kapurthala. Kochi had been pressing for suburban train services connecting Thrissur, Kottayam and Alappuzha, through the existing rail network. This was also included in the city mobility plan prepared by Kochi Corporation.  Two pairs of MEMU services from Kochi were announced in the railway  budgets of 2009-10 and 2010-11.