Kannur: “We apologise... the delay was due to a cockroach infestation inside the coach. We regret the inconvenience,” was the candid response from the Railways regarding the delay of the Kannur–Bengaluru (16512) Express by two hours. The Railway’s open admission has gained attention.

The passenger, Prasanna Idayilyam, had submitted a complaint via the Rail Madad app, and the Railways responded promptly.

The incident occurred on a Monday. The train, which was scheduled to depart Kannur at 5.40 pm for Bengaluru via Mangaluru, included retired Navy Commander Prasanna Idayilyam from Kanhangad and her father A Kunjiraman Nair among the passengers in the S-3 compartment. The train reached Mangaluru at 8.10 pm and arrived at Subrahmanya Road at 10.10 pm, where it came to a halt.

Curious about the prolonged halt, Prasanna filed a complaint. Within minutes, the Railways replied, stating that there was a cockroach nuisance in the S-6 coach, and pest control spray was being used to handle the issue.

She commented that while it is unfortunate for travel to be delayed due to such reasons, she appreciated the Railways’ honesty in their communication.