Three stations in Kerala will be like airports; The train will speed up

02 December 2022, 02:00 AM IST

Railway Action Plan 2024

Ernakulam South Railway Station development plan prepared by KITCO

Kochi: Railways has an action plan to quickly complete various railway development projects in the state and to find new opportunities. Along with the development plans of Ernakulam South, North and Kollam railway stations, Nemam station will become a satellite station. All the three stations will be equipped with airport facilities. There will be shopping area, cafeteria, waiting room, multi-storey parking, Wi-Fi etc.

In Ernakulam South, a 25 meter wide roof connecting all the six platforms and a walkway leading to the metro station will be constructed. The development of Ernakulam South and North stations will be completed by July 2024.

Kollam station development by December 2023. A plan for the modernization of Thrissur and Chengannur stations is being prepared. It is intended to be a transport hub with modern facilities associated with cities.

Last week, a high-level team of Southern Railway visited various stations and assessed the progress of various projects in the state. Along with the inspection from Thiruvananthapuram to Palakkad, General Manager R.N. Singh, Thiruvananthapuram Division General Manager R. Mukund, Chief Administrative Officer R.P. Jingar and other officers also attended meetings.

New estimate for Nemat

It is proposed to acquire 200 meters from the station to the national highway for the development of Nemam station. The estimate will be revised taking this into account. It will be completed within one year if the land is available.

The aim is to make Nemam a satellite station of Thiruvananthapuram Central. This will change the situation where trains arriving at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station wait outside until the platform vacates.

The train will speed up

A study will be conducted to increase the speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Mangapuram trains to 160 km per hour in a phased manner. The aim is to commission all the projects within two years. A feasibility study is underway to run mainline trains at a speed of up to 160 kmph.