Kerala High Court rejects plea seeking halt for Vande Bharat train at Tirur station

The Kerala High Court recently dismissed a plea filed by a practicing lawyer seeking a halt for the newly launched ‘Vande Bharat train’ at Tirur Railway station in Malappuram district [PT Sheejish v Union of India & Ors.]..A division bench consisting of Justices Bechu Kurian Thomas and C Jayachandran while dismissing the plea said that halting points of a train are determined by the Railways and no one has a vested right to demand which station a particular train should stop.“Moreover, like the petitioner, if every individual or public-spirited person in every district, starts clamoring or demanding a stop to be provided at a Railway Station of his/her choice, the purpose of setting up high-speed trains would itself be lost. Railway stops are not to be provided on demands based on personal or vested interests, especially for high-speed express trains like Vande Bharat train....we find no reason to entertain this writ petition and the same is dismissed in limine,“ the Court said..It was considering a plea filed by a practicing lawyer contending that a stop had not been allotted for Malappuram district despite it being a densely populated area with a large number of people depending on train service for travel.According to the petitioner, the failure to allot a stop at Tirur Railway Station is an injustice to the entire people of Malappuram causing great prejudice by ignoring their requests and demands.However, the court dismissed the plea stating that it cannot interfere in the matter of providing stops for railway trains, as that is a matter purely within the discretion and jurisdiction of the railways."The Courts cannot interfere in the matter of providing stops for railway trains, as that is a matter purely within the discretion and jurisdiction of the railways. Providing railway stop for the Vande Bharat train at Tirur, Malappuram is therefore not justiciable," the judgment stated..The petitioner was represented by advocates A Abdul Rahman, P Martin Jose, Sumeen S, Sreelakshmi CH, Anju Streedhar and Davis Pius..[Read Judgment]