The Hindu Business Line : Kochuveli railway terminal opened

THE city's second railway terminal at Kochuveli formally started operations today when the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, flagged off the Kochuveli-Hazrat Nizamuddin Kerala Sampark Kranti Express.

The Chief Minister said on the occasion that for many years Kerala's progress was impeded by the fact that land was often unavailable for development activities. This situation has, however, changed and the Government will not allow the non-availability of land to be a hindrance in the State's development process, he said.

In order to expedite work on various railway projects and also airport-development initiatives, Kerala has recently classified them as fast-track projects, Mr Chandy said. In fact, Kerala is the only State to give railway projects a fast-track status, he added.

The State Government has developed a `railway agenda,' the Chief Minister said. Doubling of tracks, electrification of railway lines in the State and introduction of more trains to Kerala are the main items on the State Government's railway agenda, he explained.

The Union Minister of State for Railways, Mr R. Velu, who presided over the function, said the establishment of a satellite terminal at Kochuveli will relieve the pressures on the Thiruvananthapuram Central Station, which has no room for expansion. Henceforth, long-distance trains from and to Thiruvananthapuram could operate out of the Kochuveli station based on requirements, he added.

Kerala is the State with the largest number of railway overbridges in the country, he said. Of the 55 overbridges sanctioned for Kerala, eight have been completed, while 12 more will be ready by the end the year. The remaining bridges will be completed by the end of next year, he added.

Besides introducing two new trains linking Kerala with other parts of the country, the Ministry of Railways has also increased the frequency of several long-distance trains operating from the State, he pointed out.

In its Budget for the next financial year, the Ministry has allocated Rs 307.34 crore for various railway development projects in Kerala, Mr Velu said. Doubling of railway lines in the State and electrification of the Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram stretch is also progressing, he added.

Southern Railway has increased the speed of two trains operating through Kerala. Soon, more trains will be allowed to travel at higher speeds, Mr Velu said.

Besides Internet-booking of railway tickets, passengers can also book their tickets through mobile phones. Soon people will also be able to use their landlines to book railway tickets, he added.

A pilot project on e-ticketing is also on, he revealed.

As part of its efforts to improve passenger amenities in railway stations, Southern Railway has declared 30 railway stations as `model stations'.

Twelve of these `model railway stations' are in Kerala, Mr Velu said. The Thiruvananthapuram Central Station is one `model station', he added.

The Kerala Minister for Cooperation and Ports, Mr M.V. Raghavan; the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, Ms J. Chandra; and the General Manager of Southern Railway, Mr Ramesh Chandra, were present on the occasion.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Air Deccan in pact with Kingfisher Airlines

SriLankan to add 14 new flights

IA apex fares for Port Blair

Plan panel raises doubts on Sethusamudram

Second terminal at Chennai port okayed

Chennai port users stress need for better rail, road connectivity

Tuticorin port announces new incentive scheme

Concor's Kolkata dock terminal likely by May-end

AFL launches logistics solution for auto component sector

Govt to call meeting of airlines to discuss pilot poaching

Kochuveli railway terminal opened

`Extend MRTS to Mahabalipuram'