Anitha P works in the finance department of a prominent hospital in Kochi, and commutes from her home in Angamaly to the city every day.She catches the passenger train from Kochi, which, if it runs on time, can reach Angamaly by 7 pm. But every single day, it becomes almost 8 pm when Anita reaches her destination. "You see the Chennai Express, Patna Express and even goods trains leaving, but the Passenger won't. With each passing day, the situation is getting worse. From Angamaly station, I have six more kms to reach my home. It is really tough for women like us who have to reach home as early as possible to teach our children and cook dinner. It becomes midnight by the time I sleep, and I have to start again within a few hours."And hers is not an isolated case. It has become a daily struggle for multitudes in the State today who depend on trains for their daily commute. Sony George, who has been commuting from Thrissur to Kochi for around 15 years, says, "I have approached the authorities with complaints about delayed trains for years but no one really takes our concerns seriously," he says. Echoing his opinion is another commuter, Balaji Krishna, who says that by the time he reaches his hometown, Thrissur, from Ernakulam, it is almost 11 pm, as there are few trains to his route, post the Ernakulam-Guruvayur passenger.Travel by train has always been unpredictable in our country, and as you wait in the platforms for hours on end for your train, it might look like the clock has stopped ticking. But of late, trains in our State have been getting delayed more than ever, leading to a string of protests and complaints. Why is this happening, and is there a solution in the horizon? We get a lowdown.Edappally Railway Passengers Association convener RD Manikandan says that no matter how many times they have protested, no long term change has happened. "For commuters who travel daily to Ernakulam, passenger trains are the only means of travel. The Guruvayur to Edamann Fast passenger is ideal for working people, as it reaches Ernakulam at around 8.30 am. However, it has been running late for around two months now. Only when the Chennai Egmore-Guruvayur reaches Guruvayur will the Edamann start. After we made a few complaints, it was decided that the Egmore train will be stopped at Thrissur." They thought their woes were over, but after August this year, the trains started becoming late again.Manikandan adds that employees are now fed up of giving explanations to their bosses for reaching their offices late. "If it is just one day's delay, a late entry would be justified. But most of us have reached a point where the employers have now started asking them to seek a job elsewhere. A few also miss out on the connecting buses from the railway station. This has also resulted in a lot of accidents, as people jump off trains in a hurry."Since the Chennai Express and the Janshatabdi reach Ernakulam station late, the Ernakulam Shornur Passenger (56364), scheduled to depart at 5.30 pm, invariably starts only after 6 pm or 6.30 pm. "Many of the women passengers reach their destination very late, and have to walk through stations which are devoid of proper lighting. A girl I know even started staying at her friend's house in Kochi, as she always missed the last bus to her home," says Manikandan.Meanwhile, Anita says, "There have been instances when my daughter had to wait for me after her karate class with her teacher for almost one hour. We live in an age where no child is safe, boys or girls. On top of it, we are afraid for our safety."Manikandan has managed to get the assurance from authorities such as S Anantharaman, Southern Railway Chief Operation Manager and VS Sudheesh about strict action. "Also to be noted is that there are no proper announcements in the stations if maintenance is being done or if there is a likely delay. If information is passed on to us, we could at least think of other options to travel."So why are our trains perpetually late? Though punctuality is important, safety is their primary concern, is what the railway authorities maintain. Sudheesh VC, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, says, "The track parameters have to be taken into consideration, and only then can a particular train be allowed to pass through the route. With the new changes introduced last year, we have been asked by the Railway Board to be stringent in terms of maintenance." Things which were considered safe earlier are now given a re-check, apparently. Earlier, out of 1000 km of tracks, an average of only 50 km of ageing tracks was replaced. But now the figure has been raised to 140 km. And more the length of the replaced tracks, the higher the delays.Prakash Bhutani, Divisional Railway Manager, Thiruvanantha-puram, says that rail replacement is being done in a lot of places including Chalakudy and Kalamassery."We cannot afford to overlook safety. People might find it difficult at present, but these steps are being taken with a long-term view."He also says that in the Shoranur area, the line capacity utilisation, which means that the maximum number of trains running on a track, is more than 100%. "There are no means of attending to a track without detaining a train. If welding is to be done and a defective piece has to be removed, we have to cut the rail, and for that we have to remove an engineering block, which requires a minimum of 90 minutes. Since there is hardly any gap between the trains to do the work, we have to detain one of them. Hence the delay."Single line tracks have always been a perpetual problem for the railways and this is the single most important factor that is behind delays. Says Sudheesh, "For instance, the Thrissur-Ernakulam track is a single line. So, if Thiruvananthapuram trains are to pass by the route, we have to halt one or the other. However, in the case of Palakkad, only in Shoranur is there a single track, and most trains make up for the lost time when they reach Kozhikode, Kannur or Kasaragod." The districts that get affected most are Kottayam, Alappuzha and Thrissur.Trains are all interlinked, and the delay in one will delay others as well. For instance, Sudheesh says, "As soon as the Island Express reaches Kanyakumari, maintenance and cleaning is done, post which it travels to Bangalore, as a different train. "This is called rake link, so if the first train gets delayed by any chance, the second will also be late." The Kerala Express and Mangala Express are other examples.Single line tracks also pose a problem during the Sabarimala season, when special trains are introducedfor pilgrims. The regular trains' arrival or departure time gets delayed, as there is only one set of tracks. Also, trains which might need maintenance are not allowed to run in full speed for a few days, as they would be under observation, explains Sudheesh.The four sections in Kottayam— Kuruppanthara to Ettumanur, Ettumanur to Kottayam, Kottayam to Chingavanam and Chingavanam to Changanassery—are yet to be doubled.Meanwhile, train passengers in the State are in no mood to give up, and around 4,000 regular commuters are planning to hold an online protest today, by sending Whatsapp and text messages to the authorities, in addition to making calls continuously, informing them about the delay in trains. "The more the number of callers, the better it will highlight the magnitude of the issue. They will be forced to take action sooner==

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