The sluggish movement of trains in Kerala due to inordinate delay in completing track-replacement works, tardy pace of track-doubling through Kottayam and Alappuzha districts and underutilisation of vast tracks of Railway land in Ernakulam have attracted severe criticism from commuters.
The general secretary of Thrissur Railway Passengers’ Association (TRPA), P. Krishnakumar, demanded that the General Manager of Southern Railway must prevail on the Railway Board to allot one more track-relaying machine to speed up the much-delayed track replacement works in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad Divisions. The Railway must also hasten the pace of track doubling through Kottayam.Mr. Krishnakumar also reiterated the demand to extend the three-coach DEMU train that is slated to begin operation this month in the 6-km-long Ernakulam Junction-Harbour Terminus corridor, up to Thrissur or Shoranur.
GM visit
In the meantime, Southern Railway General Manager and Divisional Railway Manager, Thiruvananthapuram, are expected to visit Harbour Terminus station on Friday, prior to the DEMU beginning operations to the station.
