text of letter sent to press

By their permutation and combination exercises with terms (bi-weekly, tri-weekly, superfast, special, etc, etc), numbers ( 0641/0642; 0637/0638; etc), timings ( inconsistent, and most inconvenient at both ends), types of accommodation ( 2AC, 3AC, 2/3 tier, etc), days of journey (unless you are an expert, you will never know on which days it is operating, and according to what timings) etc, on the Bangalore - Ernakulam run, all that the South-Western Railways is achieving is to confuse the travellers and driving them away to the waiting arms of the alternate service providers (Volvo bus operators, and now airlines).

The need for atleast one regular overnight superfast daily service between Bangalore and Ernakulam (in fact Thiruvananthapuram) has existed from decades. However, even with any number of representations made by various groups of people at all kinds of levels, all that the South Western Railways has responded with is this dose of confusion.

Customer orientation and government are antonymous. Yet another fit case for privatisation.