Keywords: Southern Railways, stop, Tirur Railway Station, Malappuram District, Vande Bharat Train Service, Special Leave Petition, Shornur Railway Station, Palakkad district, broader public interest.
The Apex Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by a lawyer challenging the Kerala High Court’s rejection of a request to direct the Southern Railways to establish a stop at Tirur Railway Station in Malappuram District for the ‘Vande Bharat Train Service’.
Right from the beginning, a bench consisting of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra expressed their reluctance in considering the plea and recognized it as a policy issue.
CJI commented that entertaining such a plea would imply that the Court also decide on train stops for other routes like Delhi to Mumbai Rajdhani.
The Division Bench of the Kerala High Court, consisting of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice C. Jayachandran, had earlier dismissed the petition on May 2, citing that the writ petition lacked any demonstration of public interest. They emphasized that the decision to provide train stops rests with the Railways and that individuals do not possess an inherent right to demand such stops. The Bench’s Order clearly stated that granting stops based on public demand would undermine the concept of an “express train”.
In the Special Leave Petition filed through Advocate Sriram P. and MS Vishnu Shankar, it was argued that Malappuram District in Kerala has a high population density and heavily relies on train services for their travel needs. The petitioner claimed that initially, as per the Indian Railways’ first schedule of train stops, Tirur Railway Station was designated as a stop for Malappuram District. However, the Indian Railways later reversed this decision and allocated Shornur Railway Station in Palakkad district instead. The petitioner alleged that this change was politically motivated and unjust.
The petitioner referred to the 2011 Census Report to bolster their contention, highlighting the population figures of Tirur District in Malappuram and Shornur District in Palakkad. They emphasized that Tirur has a dense population, and the absence of a railway stop there would have severe ramifications for the entire population of the district. Moreover, the petitioner highlighted the inconvenience caused by Shornur Railway Station being located approximately 56 kilometers away from Tirur, particularly affecting working individuals and the elderly residing in the Malappuram district. The petitioner emphasized their lack of vested stake and instead highlighted the broader public interest.
References:
- Live Law, https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-dismisses-plea-seeking-additional-stop-for-vande-bharat-train-in-kerala-232879, accessed 17 July 2023.
- Bar and Bench, https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/supreme-court-dismisses-plea-seeking-halt-tirur-railway-station-vande-bharat-express, accessed 17 July 2023.
By: Saatvik, BBA LL.B. (Hons.), upcoming law student at Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, GGSIPU, Delhi, an intern under Legal Vidhiya.
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