Palakkad loses Emergency Quota share; 18 trains including Vande Bharat affected

Palakkad division’s share of the Railway Emergency Quota (EQ) has been reduced following the restructuring of the Mangaluru railway region, affecting 18 trains, including the Vande Bharat, Maveli and Malabar Express.

The change took effect on Thursday, with the share of Emergency Quota allocated from the originating station being revised for trains starting from or passing through Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction.

For trains originating in Mangaluru and travelling towards Bengaluru and the Konkan Railway section, the entire Emergency Quota will now be handled by the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway. Palakkad Division will not have a share in the quota for these trains.

This includes eight trains, among them the Mangaluru-Goa Vande Bharat and Matsyagandha Express.

For trains originating from Mangaluru and travelling towards Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai, Palakkad Division will now receive two-thirds of the Emergency Quota, while the remaining one-third will be under the Mysuru Division. The division of quota also includes lower berths.

On average, around 30 sleeper berths on a train are currently set aside under the Emergency Quota. Earlier, the entire EQ allocation was handled by Palakkad Division.

Under the revised arrangement, Palakkad Division will get 20 of the 30 sleeper berths, while 10 will be allotted by Mysuru Division. In the Third AC category, out of 15 Emergency Quota berths, 10 will be handled by Palakkad Division and five by Mysuru Division.

The reduction could also affect access to Emergency Quota berths for MPs from Kerala and those travelling on their recommendations. The quota is reserved for urgent travel and gives priority to Union ministers, judges and MPs, among others.

Ordinary passengers facing urgent situations, including serious illness or work-related emergencies, can also apply for accommodation under the Emergency Quota.