All LHB coaches, no parcel bogie; West Coast Express pushes betel leaf farmers into crisis

Tirur: The export of betel leaves from Tirur has run into trouble after the Chennai West Coast Express was upgraded with all LHB coaches, leading to the removal of the parcel bogie.

Earlier, there was facility to load 18 tonnes of goods in the parcel van and an additional eight tonnes in the two SLR coaches at the front and rear of the train. Now, only an SLR facility with a capacity of six tonnes remain, resulting in the loss of space to carry nearly 20 tonnes of cargo. The parcel bogie used for transporting betel leaves was discontinued from February 1.

Betel leaf farmers in Malappuram district have for decades depended on the Chennai West Coast Express to transport their produce from Tirur railway station. The train reaches Tirur at around 3.45 am. Tirur is a major production and export hub for betel leaves in Kerala, from where consignments travel via the West Coast route to Chennai and onward to destinations including Delhi.

Between 700 and 1,000 bundles of betel leaves are dispatched daily from Tirur, earning the Railways revenue worth lakhs. Earlier, Tirur betel leaves were even exported beyond borders to Pakistan. Even now, there is strong demand for Tirur betel leaves in Delhi markets.

The earlier parcel bogie had two doors, making loading easier. The current brake van has only one door, making it difficult to load betel leaf bundles within the limited stoppage time.