Kochi: During the Navaratri holidays, trains across the state experienced an unprecedented rush. Passengers found themselves crammed into overcrowded compartments, and their miseries were compounded by prolonged halts at various stations, often lasting for hours due to a various reasons.

Passengers thronged trains including Parasuram, Ernad, Malabar and Mangalore Express trains. The rush had peaked on Friday (October 20) and is bound to repeat on Tuesday (October 24), the last day of the holidays.

Train passengers were further troubled by the unprecedented delay in reaching their destinations. A number of trains were halted for long hours across the stations in the country, giving way to distress and fatigue among passengers.

For example, the Nizamuddin express which was supposed to arrive at the Kozhikode railway station at 9:02 PM on Saturday (October 21), reached the station the next morning. The train was running nine hours late. Similarly, other trains including Kerala Express and Alappuzha Express were also running late on previous days.