# Kollam-Kottayam MEMU to run up to Ernakulam, Railways finalises schedule 2026-10-31T15:48:58+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Railways will extend the Kollam-Kottayam MEMU service to Ernakulam, finalising its schedule and stops. An official notification is expected on 1 November. The train will depart Kollam at 1.40 p.m. and Ernakulam at 5.25 p.m., halting at 19 stations including Thripunithura, Kottayam, Changanassery, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Mavelikara and Kayamkulam. The extension aims to ease overcrowding on the Venad Express, particularly during evening hours, and provide an additional commuting option between Kollam and Ernakulam via Kottayam. Mavelikara MP Kodikkunnil Suresh said Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw approved the schedule after he raised the issue repeatedly and submitted photographs of passengers struggling for space. BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MLA, said the decision followed a representation he submitted to Vaishnaw, with both parties staking competing claims to the credit. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The extension turns a short MEMU run into a cross-district service linking Kollam, Kottayam and Ernakulam, which adds a third rail option alongside the Venad Express and existing long-distance trains. The 1.40 p.m. departure from Kollam and 5.25 p.m. from Ernakulam insert it directly into the evening peak, when the Venad Express is most crowded. Overcrowding on that train has persisted for years, yet the article leaves unstated exactly how much relief the MEMU's additional seats will bring or whether it will be enough. The political credit-claiming between the Congress and the BJP over the same decision signals that the extension was not a routine operational change, an official notification is expected on 1 November. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Leads with relief for commuters then reports the political credit-claiming even-handedly This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ernakulam, Indian Railways, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Kollam, Rajeev Chandrasekhar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kollam-kottayam-memu-to-run-up-to-ernakulam-railways-finalises-schedule/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kollam-kottayam-memu-to-run-up-to-ernakulam-railways-finalises-schedule/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/