Thiruvananthapuram: For the convenience of passengers, Southern Railway has added extra coaches in trains operating in Kerala.  A second class general coach has been added to the Vanchinad Express which runs from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Ernakulam Junction.

 A second class general coach will be added to the Vanchinad Express from Ernakulam Junction to Thiruvananthapuram Central from November 1.  An additional second class coach will be added to Venad Express from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Shornur and back from tomorrow.

 Intercity Express from Ernakulam Junction to Kannur will have a second class general coach from today and Intercity Express from Kannur to Ernakulam Junction will have a second class general coach from October 31.  From tomorrow, a second class general coach will be added to the Executive Express, which runs from Kannur to Alappuzha and vice versa.

 Only one coach is allowed in each train.  It is believed that the current travel woes will be solved by providing additional coaches.

Kozhikode: The District Collector has issued an order imposing traffic control at Tamarasseri Pass.  Due to the Navratri holiday, there was a huge traffic jam at the pass.  In the background of this, traffic restrictions will be imposed at Tamarassery Pass during the holidays and the restrictions will continue till further order.

 Restrictions are imposed on large vehicles including tipper lorries with more than 6 wheels and goods vehicles with more than 10 wheels.  Large vehicles will not be allowed on holidays including Saturday and Sunday from 3 pm to 9 pm.  The restriction also applies on Fridays and Saturdays adjacent to second Saturdays.  Restrictions have been imposed on Mondays from 6 am to 9 pm.  Also, parking of vehicles at the pass is prohibited.  Illegal parking will be fined.

 Buses had an accident at the 8th turn of Thamarassery pass this morning too.  The accident happened when 2 KSRTC buses collided at 8th turn around 3 pm.  And this past week also there was severe traffic jam.  The passengers, including women and children, were trapped for hours.  In this situation, restrictions were imposed on large vehicles.  In the past, when there was a traffic jam, heavy vehicles were restricted at the Thamarassery pass, but later it was not implemented due to various reasons.

Thiruvananthapuram: Department of Tourism with various microsites to unveil the rich and diverse heritage of the state.  Microsites are being prepared which introduce and describe the features of various places of worship in the state.  A multilingual microsite is being prepared about Sabarimala, a major pilgrimage center in Kerala.  A revamped microsite is being developed to help Sabarimala pilgrims with travel, accommodation and multilingual e-brochures.

 The Sabarimala microsite is being expanded by developing content in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages ​​in addition to English.  The project also includes e-brochure, promotional film and online marketing campaigns on Sabarimala pilgrimage.  This will make the pilgrimage to Sabarimala, which attracts lakhs of devotees every year, a hassle-free and comfortable experience.

 Itineraries about other temples and holy places to visit after visiting Sabarimala are also available through Kerala Tourism website and YouTube channel.  Through this, the tourism department is also promoting the rich heritage of the state to more people.  Detailed information about routes to each shrine, transport facility and accommodation near the shrines will ensure a comprehensive and attractive pilgrimage for devotees including those from other states.

 The microsite contains the latest information about Sabarimala Darshan, geographical details, cultural insights and traditional knowledge related to the temple. https://sabarimala.kerala.gov.in/

 Janata Dal S Kerala unit announces no new party formation.  The decision of the state leadership meeting in Kochi is to seek legal options to overcome the problem of ineligibility of the symbol.

 The main topic of discussion in the state leadership meeting was the crisis that arose in the Janata Dal S after the national leadership joined the BJP alliance.  State President Mathew T Thomas once again reiterated that the party does not agree with the central position.  And MLA Mathew T Thomas said that JDS is not a recognized national party in the Election Commission’s list.

 The JDS leadership also stated that they are continuing discussions with the leaders of other states to resolve the issue.  The leadership also informed that if the symbol becomes a disqualification issue, it will look for the possibility to overcome it.

Chennai: The Union Ministry of Railways has sanctioned a third Vande Bharat train service for Kerala.  The train running on the Chennai – Bengaluru – Ernakulam route is arranged to connect the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

 A total of eight services are planned to connect the three states.  The services will be Chennai – Bengaluru and Bengaluru – Ernakulam South.  The service is expected to start by Diwali.

 Currently two Vande Bharat trains are operating in Kerala.  The upcoming third service will benefit inter-state passengers over these trains on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod route.  Malayalees who stay in Chennai and Bengaluru for study and work will benefit the most.  It is hoped that congestion experienced by trains running on these routes during weekends will also be managed to some extent with the new service.

District Collector Dr. Renuraj said that there is no cause for concern after the presence of Nipah virus in bats in Wayanad.  The collector said that the ICMR test results are helpful in taking precautionary measures.

 At the same time, if you see symptoms, you should go to the health center and get checked.  The Collector directed that bats should be avoided as it would be harmful to drive them away.  According to the ICMR report, the virus is present in Bathery and Mananthwadi regions.

Thrissur: Bus strike in Kerala on October 31. There is a demand to renew the permit of all private buses irrespective of distance.  If not accepted, the bus owners will go on an indefinite strike from November 21.