: Kochi Corporation offering to contribute Rs 7.50 crore for the proposed Rs 30-crore Aluva-Ernakulam-Tripunithura regional railway service has given an impetus to the project that is expected to further the cause of inter-modal commuting in the district.
The State government is expected to contribute Rs 7.50 crore and the Railways will foot in the balance Rs 15 crore.
“Southern Railway has agreed to provide a six-coach train powered by diesel engine for the service, which will also pave the way for reviving Old Railway Station located behind High Court and Harbour Terminus Station in Willingdon Island.
The service can be linked to Kumbalam as well. Each MEMU-like coach will be able to carry up to 100 people and this will considerably lessen traffic congestion in the corridor, a senior Railway official said.
Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager Sunil Bajpai said that the service could be introduced within 2 months. “Railways did a preliminary study and the service was found feasible,” he said.
Chairman of Kochi Corporation’s Town Planning standing committee and former Mayor K.J. Sohan, an advocate of a suburban rail corridor with Ernakulam as base, said that the civic agency had promised a similar service four years ago.
“We can raise our contribution of Rs 7.50 crore from ‘own’ or ‘plan’ funds or even by taking loan from German or French lending agencies,” he said.
The amount can be realised if a 10 or 20 per cent surcharge is levied on ticket fare. The intra-district train service will further the cause of Kochi’s Unified Metropolitan Transportation Authority (UMTA) which is at the formative stage.
The service will also increase ridership for Kochi Metro since more people from suburbs will come to the city. People from west Kochi can come by ferry and board the service from Harbour Terminus, Mr Sohan said.
