# Passenger bodies seek more MEMU coaches in Kerala 2026-09-20T02:08:04+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Passenger organisations in Kerala have renewed demands for more coaches on MEMU and inter-city trains, citing worsening overcrowding as NH-66 widening work drives commuters towards rail travel. The six-laning work on the 640-km Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod stretch is expected to last until at least 2028, with some bypass sections yet to begin redevelopment. Friends on Rails general secretary Liyons J. said the Railways must add coaches to existing MEMU trains and introduce new MEMU services from districts to Ernakulam. He pointed to gaps of over an hour in train schedules, such as between Vanchinad Express and Chennai Mail each morning from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram, as slots for new trains. Thrissur Railway Passengers' Association general secretary P. Krishnakumar said all short-distance trains should be converted to MEMU rakes for higher capacity and faster acceleration. Railway sources said MEMU trains currently run with 12 or 16 coaches, and two more trains are being pursued, one north and one south of Ernakulam, to meet demand from rising bus and fuel fares. ## Indian Opinion Analysis MEMU trains have been Kerala's workhorse for short-distance commutes since the early 2000s, when the Southern Railway began retrofitting conventional rakes. The current fleet mostly runs 12 or 16 coaches, but passenger bodies argue 20-coach rakes are feasible on the same platforms. The NH-66 widening, a Rs 9,500-crore project awarded in phases under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, has hit multiple deadlines because of land acquisition delays and utility shifting. Until at least 2028, road traffic will remain choked. The Railways' zonal board at Palakkad now holds the file on additional MEMU rakes. Its next quarterly review is due before December 2026, when coach allocation proposals go to the Railway Board for approval. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Ernakulam, Friends on Rails, Kollam, MEMU, NH 66, Southern Railway Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/passenger-bodies-seek-more-memu-coaches-in-kerala/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/passenger-bodies-seek-more-memu-coaches-in-kerala/#story-in-brief