The Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents Association (TRURA) has requested the railway authorities to improve the railway station at Tripunithura and to put in place better infrastructural facilities in the temple town.
In a memorandum to the Railway authorities, the association pointed out that now the commuters of the entire area had to go to Ernakulam Town Railway station, which is more than 15 km away from Tripunithura town, and due to the severe traffic block in the Tripunithura-Ernakulam stretch, the commuters have to spent more than one hour to reach the North railway station. If the to and fro stop for all the express trains which are not touching Ernakulam Junction at present is sanctioned, the traffic congestion in Kochi city, especially during the re-construction of North Over Bridge, can also be resolved to a great extend. Moreover Tripunithura is the nearest Railway station to the transit hub (Bus Terminal) at Vyttila.
Underutilised
Even though the Tripunithura railway station has two platforms to accommodate 24 bogies each and double lines up to Mulanthuruthy, the facility and potential of the Railway station is still underutilised. Now only a few trains have halts at Tripunithura and they are fetching good collection to the Railways. The TRURA wanted to and fro halts for all the express trains which are not touching Ernakulam Junction at present, especially for trains such as 16525-16526 Island Express and16649-16650 Parasuram Express on trial basis during the re-construction of North Over Bridge. The TRURA wanted the Railways to extend to and fro halts for 16303-16304 Vanchinadu Express also, which is catering to and fro travel requirements to the State capital for the urgent day-to-day official requirements of the public as well as the government servants. As the above train is starting at 5.00 a.m., from Ernakulam Junction, and back at 10.15 p.m., the commuters find it extremely difficult to get conveyance from and to Tripunithura and nearby areas in the odd hours. More over, the above train had halts at Tripunithura during the inception of service; it was withdrawn subsequently. Similar requests have also been made in connection with trains such as 16630 Malabar express and 16382 Kanyakumari-Mumbai Express which have halts to one side only at present.
Extension of service
The TRURA requested the authorities to extend train no-301-302, 305-306 Ernakulam-Guruvayur passenger to Tripunithura, to connect the major pilgrim centres of South India viz, Chottanikkara and Guruvayur.
If some of the passenger trains originating from and terminating at Ernakulam Junction to and from south and north sides such as Train no 334-335 & 336-337 Ernakulam-Alappuzha-Kayamkulam Passenger, 647-648 & 649-650 Ernakulam-Shornur-Nilambur Passenger are extended to Tripunithura and originated from Tripunithura, it will definitely ease the non-availability of platforms at Ernakulam Junction during peak hours.
The Association also requested to provide roof for the existing platforms and foot over bridge.
