Representative image | Photo: Mathrubhumi
Kozhikode: The central government is pulling the plug on the Railway Mail Service (RMS) dating back to the period of colonial rule in India. As a part of this, the bogeys carrying mail in the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru Express were cancelled. Once the bogeys carrying mail in Malabar, Kurla Express, Chennai Mail, and West Coast are cancelled, the RMS system will be completely stopped. The government has decided to transport mail via road as it is much more convenient.
The department is relying on Malabar Express to send mail to Thiruvananthapuram after the mail bogey in Mangaluru Express was cancelled. Due to this, the mails in the RMS office in Kozhikode and other stations are piling up. Since the number of mails arriving is more than what the mail bogey can carry, it is taking up to days to send all of it away.
The mails from Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Areekode, and Kondotty are sent out after arriving at the RMS office in Kozhikode railway station. Around 20,000 first-class mails of immediate priority and 60,000 second-class mails arrive at the RMS office of Kozhikode railway station each day. Parcels also arrive here.
During the time of school and college examinations, question papers are also sent via RMS. With the help of the RMS system, the mails sent from Kozhikode used to reach Thiruvananthapuram the next day itself. Carrying mails via road may result in delay, officials opined. The railway has also ordered the RMS office in Kozhikode to be vacated.