Respected Sir(s),

This letter is to bring to your kind notice a request for a one-minute stoppage at Vaikom Road Railway Station. Vaikom Road is one of the most important railway stations in Kottayam district, which is relied upon by hundreds of commuters daily.
Vaikom Road is the only railway station located at the main road between Kottayam and Ernakulam. Vaikom Road, which has one of the largest platform in Kottayam district, however, does not get the full benefit of the upgraded station as no major trains stop here.

The station has a large parking facility and is easily accessible to people from major towns like Vaikom, Pala, Kaduthuruthy, Kuravilangad and Thalayolaparambu. The railway station serves the Vaikom and Pala municipalities as well as the assembly constituencies of Vaikom, Kaduthuruthy and Pala. Several significant cultural sites such as the ancient Vaikom Shree Mahadeva Temple, the Kaduthuruthy Thaliyil Shree Mahadeva Temple, the Adithyapuram soorya temple only sun temple in Kerala, the Kuravilangad Church, which is India’s first Arch-episcopal Church, the Malliyoor Mahaganapati Temple, Bharananganam, Kaduthuruthy, and Muthuchira Churches, and institutions such as Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Kottayam, Kerala Science City, Kottayam,Kaduthuruthy Government Polytechnic, Devamatha College, Kuravilangad, DB College, Thalayolaparambu, DB College, Keezhoor, St. Stephen's College, Uzhavoor and major hospitals such as Indo-American Hospital, Vaikom and Kuravilangad taluk headquarters hospitals, other commercial center's, various government and semi-government Institutions lie within reach of Vaikom Road railway station. Vaikom Road is also close to Uzhavoor, the birthplace of K. R. Narayanan, Former President of India. K. G. Balakrishnan, Former Chief Justice of India hails from Vaikom Road.

Below mentioned trains are passing through VAIKOM ROAD (VARD) station,

1. Train No: 16302 – (TVC) Thiruvananthapuram Central -  Shoranur Junction (SRR)
2. Train No: 16301 -  (SRR) Shoranur Junction - Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC)
3. Train No: 16649 - (MAQ) Mangaluru Central - Nagercoil Junction (NCJ)
4. Train No: 16650 - (NCJ) Nagercoil Junction - Mangaluru Central (MAQ)
5. Train No: 16303 - (ERS) Ernakulam Junction -Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC)
6. Train No: 16304 - (TVC) Thiruvananthapuram Central- Ernakulam Junction (ERS)

As for the convenience of commuters comprising of a large number of government, private, IT employees and students, the Venad Express is the most suitable train to board from Vaikom to reach Ernakulam at 10 am. The train 16302 reaches Ettumanoor at 8.32 am and Piravom Road at 8.54. On return, the train 16301 reaches Piravom Road at 6.07 pm and Ettumanoor at 6.28 pm. The only train that halts at Vaikom Road in the evening (Ernakulam Kollam MEMU) reaches the station at 7.05 pm, a time commuters especially ladies and students find it difficult to obtain connection bus services to their destinations.

Hundreds of migrant farmers from central Travancore to places like Kasaragod and Kannur and students pursuing higher education in places like Mangalore and Nagercoil have to rely on the Parasuram Express (16649/16650).Currently we have to leave from Kottayam or rely on other modes of transport. This is causing hardship and financial burden to the common people. Traffic congestion from Ernakulam in the afternoon can also be resolved by allowing a stop for the Parasuram Express (16649/16650).

Currently, the Kerala Express is the only way to reach the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, which means that government offices, Regional Cancer Center(RCC) are not accessible in the morning. The Vanchinad Express (16303/16304) which starts from Ernakulam, will have a stop at Vaikom will be helpful for the commuters towards Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram area during office hours.

Allowing a one-minute stop for these express trains at Vaikom Road, which has two island platforms on the Direct Line will not cause any inconvenience to other passengers but will be a solution to the long standing problem of the commuters who have to rush to the nearby railway stations or use other modes of transport to keep up with office hours.

Since in you we see a hope for change we approach you with a humble request to provide a 1 minute 'STOPPAGE IN VAIKOM ROAD (VARD)' for above mentioned trains which will not only be a great relief to the resident community living in and around this area but also would contribute in a big way towards Pilgrimage and Tourism in Vaikom.

We humbly request you to make the necessary interventions to allow a one-minute stoppage for ‌above mentioned express trains at Vaikom Road railway station to improve the life of the common people.