After a lull, Southern Railway has dusted up the proposal to resume train services to the Old Railway Station located behind the High Court of Kerala and to the Harbour Terminus Railway Station, provided the State government bears half the Rs 30 crore project cost.
“The final call on funding, renovating the stations and related infrastructure has to be taken by the Railway Board. Tracks to both the stations are intact and train services can be resumed once electrification, signals and other infrastructure are readied. Preference will be given to operate MEMU trains to the two stations,” said Sunil Bajpai, Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager.
“We can operate DEMU (Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit) trains to Harbour Terminus if the Navy objects to electrification of the track for operating MEMU trains,” he said.
Though reviving the two stations will decongest Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town stations and pave the way for introduction of new trains, State government is non-committal on providing Rs 15 crore, half the total project cost, it is learnt.
“We are awaiting the State government’s response to the proposal. The Rs 15 crore pales in comparison with Rs 5,000-odd crore being spent for Kochi Metro. The Railways has begun a detailed study on the passenger movement pattern and the break-up of expenses for different works. Perhaps, Kochi Metro’s implementing agency Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) manned by senior Railway officials can help us in this,” said another Railway official.
Though funds are unlikely to be earmarked in the Railway budget slated for February 28, the Southern Railway General Manager can sanction the funds.
