Supreme Court Petition Seeks Suspension of Vande Bharat Train at Tirur Railway Station

In the case of PT Sheejish v Union of India & Ors, an appeal was filed before the Supreme Court on Thursday, requesting a suspension of operations for the newly introduced Vande Bharat train at Tirur Railway station in Malappuram district.

The appeal contests a ruling made by the Kerala High Court on May 2, which dismissed the original petition.

A division bench, comprising Justices Bechu Kurian Thomas and C Jayachandran of the High Court, rejected the plea by highlighting that the Indian Railways determines the designated halting points for trains, and individuals do not possess an inherent right to demand a stop at a specific station.

The High Court emphasized that if every individual or public-spirited person in each district were allowed to advocate for train stops according to personal preferences, it would undermine the purpose of high-speed trains. They further stated that stops at railway stations should not be provided solely based on personal or vested interests, particularly for trains like the Vande Bharat Express, designed for rapid transportation. Consequently, the writ petition was summarily dismissed by the High Court.

The plea presented to the highest court highlighted that, according to the initial train stop schedule announced by the Indian Railways for the Vande Bharat train, Tirur railway station was designated as a stop representing the Malappuram district.

However, the Indian Railways later revoked the stop assigned to Tirur railway station and instead allotted it to another station, Shornur, located approximately 56 kilometers away in the Palakkad district.

The petition argued that the decision to withdraw the proposed railway stop for Tirur station was primarily driven by political motives. This action is perceived as a grave injustice to the entire population of Malappuram district, considering it is the most densely populated district and has a significant number of citizens who urgently require the services provided by the aforementioned train.

Presented by advocates Sriram Parakkat and MS Vishnu Shankar, the petitioner emphasized that they do not hold any personal vested interest in the matter at hand. Instead, they underscored the significance of addressing a broader public interest, as the issue directly impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens residing in Malappuram district.

Written by – Sohini Chakraborty intern under Legal Vidhiya

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