Kannur, Kerala: The Mangaluru-Rameswaram Weekly Express, which provides direct connectivity from Kerala to Rameswaram, has been allotted only five stops within the state: Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Shoranur and Palakkad.

As per the Railway Board order issued in 2024, these are the approved stops in Kerala. Seeking additional halts in the Malabar region, MP Rajmohan Unnithan has written to the Railway Minister requesting stops at major stations, including Kanhangad, Payyannur, Thalassery, Vadakara and Tirur.

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The Mangaluru–Rameswaram–Mangaluru (16622/16621) service was announced by the Railways in 2024, but operations have commenced only now.

The train departs from Mangaluru at 7:30 pm on Saturdays and reaches Rameswaram at 11:45 am on Sundays. The return service leaves Rameswaram at 2:00 pm on Sunday and arrives back in Mangaluru at 5:50 am on Monday.

Apart from the five stops in Kerala, the train also halts at 12 other stations, including Palani, Dindigul, Madurai, and Ramanathapuram.

Demand to revise timings

Passengers travelling to Rameswaram on Saturday have raised concerns that the current schedule does not allow sufficient time for return travel. The train reaches Rameswaram at 11:45 am on Sunday and departs again at 2:00 pm the same day, giving passengers limited time at the pilgrimage centre.

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However, the service is expected to benefit passengers travelling to destinations such as Palani and Madurai. It will also facilitate travel to Erwadi Dargah, a prominent pilgrimage centre in Ramanathapuram district.

Two-year wait

Until now, passengers from the Malabar region largely depended on the Coimbatore–Rameswaram Express, which operates on Tuesdays, for travel to Rameswaram.

The South Indian Cultural Forum and public representatives had been demanding the introduction of at least two weekly train services from Mangaluru to Rameswaram via Palakkad and Madurai.