Vistadome coaches a hit, bookings full

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vistadome tourist coach on Madurai-Guruvayur Express has proved popular, with reservations reaching the waitlist for all four days of travel over the coming weekend.Southern Railway has introduced the vistadome executive coach in the train for four days — Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on the Madurai-Guruvayur route and Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays on the Guruvayur-Madurai route.The seat reservation for the coach, which has wider windows and a glass roof, has touched the waitlist for travel from Kollam and Madurai in both directions.On the Madurai-Kollam route, the reservation status is on the waitlist this week and for the next weekend. On the Kollam-Madurai route, reservation status is full for this week while seats are filling up fast for the next weekend.The train timing is suitable for people to enjoy the ghat section views as the trains in both directions pass through the forests in the afternoon.This is the first vistadome coach in Southern Railway and many people have booked the tickets soon after reservations opened on Sunday.T Frankie, a rail enthusiast, said, “I didn’t get tickets for the first-day travel on Oct 21. I will be booking on a later date. I would have preferred the first day service.”Rail passengers have been demanding that the railways introduce vistadome along the route soon after the route was certified fit for running LHB coaches after a trial.Dipu Ravi of Kollam-Sengottai Railway Passengers Association said, “Only this train runs in the day and is ideal for vistadome. It is popular. Other trains pass through the ghat section at night or early in the morning.”Chennai Egmore-Kollam Express had apt timings but its timing has been changed to depart from Kollam at 4pm to reach Chennai at 6am instead of the earlier 3am.Kanyakumari District Rail Passengers Association has again urged railways to operate a circular train service with vistadome coaches on the Tirunelveli-Sengottai-Punalur-Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Tirunelveli route.Stay updated with the latest Thiruvananthapuram news. Download the TOI App.