With the State set to ink the pact for cost-sharing of railway projects, the Railways have mooted a third and fourth line on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam stretch to operate Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMUs) frequently to cater to the needs of short-distance rail commuters.
The existing lines and terminals are saturated and chances of introducing more mail and express trains for long-distance travellers, passenger trains for short-distance commuters, and increasing the speed of existing trains are bleak.
The solution is to run MEMUs frequently for short-distance commuters. “For this, dedicated third and fourth rail lines are needed. A whopping Rs.10,000 crore is needed and the cost-sharing pact between the Railways and State has opened avenues for Kerala to take a call as getting land is a big issue,” Vashishta Johri, General Manager, Southern Railway, told The Hindu here.
Mr. Johri hoped that the much-delayed cost-sharing pact with the Railways is a positive action as this will pave the way for the accelerated development of the railway network in the State.
Asked on the Sabari project, which aims to put Sabarimala on the rail map, and making it to the cost-sharing platform, the zonal head said “the Railways are still doubtful of the viability of the project as the traffic is seasonal.”
The thrust of the Railways now is to complete the doubling via Kottayam and Alappuzha as it will bring relief to the commuters in terms of punctuality and track maintenance, he said.
Pointing out the limitations in introducing new trains to Kerala, the General Manager hinted that much need not be expected in the budget.
The last four years, Kerala was given 33 new trains in the successive railway budgets and another nine trains were extended and frequency of four increased and 159 passenger stops added.
Asked on the rail connectivity to the upcoming the Vizhinjam international deepwater seaport, Mr. Johri said the private operator and the State are in touch with them. “Rail connectivity will not be a problem. We are waiting for traffic in all ports in the southern States,” he added.
