Top priority is being accorded by the railways to complete the ongoing doubling works to decongest the railway network of the state and to introduce new trains for the commuters, Divisional Railway Manager, Rajiv Dutt Sharma has said.
Speaking after unfurling the national flag and inspecting the parade of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at the divisional headquarters on Wednesday on the occasion of Republic Day, Mr. Sharma said doubling works between Kayamkulam and Mavelikara stations is in advanced stage and is likely to be completed by March.
Mr. Sharma said the division has drawn up ambitious plans for providing UTS ticketing facility at all the major stations, except very minor halt-stations, in a phased manner. UTS ticketing facility to issue unreserved tickets are available at 43 stations and IUTS facility to issue both reserved and unreserved tickets are available at 24 stations. Work in this regard is progressing.
Steps have been taken to modify the signalling system in the Kochuveli –Thiruvananthapuram central section. The section between Thiruvananthapuram central and Pettah will be made as Intermediate block section to enable the stoppage of commuter trains at Pettah.
Mr. Sharma said the works in this regard will begin shortly and will be completed by April, UTS facility will be a great boon to the passengers as it will enable them to buy any unreserved ticket between two stations up to 300 km for any train in any class up to three days in advance.
To supplement the facility, JTBS (Jansadharan Ticket Booking Service ) has also been provided at 19 places. Efforts had been initiated to locate this service close to the railway stations.
Stating that all trains announced in the last budget for the state had started running, the Divisional Railway Manager said the much awaited Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) service between Ernakulam and Kollam will be introduced one the rake arrives.
Several initiatives have been taken to improve infrastructural facilities in stations. In the division, 19 stations have been identified as Adarsh stations, 9 as Modern stations, 14 as Model stations and 2 as World class stations. He announced that the booking offices at Ernakulam Junction and Thrissur will be relocated to a new place with spacious circulating area.
Though the overall safety performance is satisfactory, the increasing LC gate accident is of concern to the railways. Of the 85 unmanned LC gates, four has been manned. Eleven will be done in the current year and the balance in the next financial year.
Mr. Sharma said cleanliness of coaches and stations are an area of serious concern and remedial measures are being undertaken to contain this problem. Senior officers had been asked to monitor the various aspects of passenger amenities and cleanliness in important trains and to bring down the defects to zero level.
To check frequent landslips in the Thiruvanathapuram–Nagercoil section, remedial measures including construction of gabbion wall is being taken up. Mr. Sharma said patch doubling in the very sensitive Kuzhithurai– Eranniel section had also been proposed.
During the current year 2010-11, the division has earned an all time record revenue of Rs.624.14 crore upto December against only Rs.602.42 crore last year. He said this is 3.61 per cent more than the corresponding period of last year.
Mr. Sharma also lauded the sports personalities of the division Simi Jose and Joseph Abraham who brought laurels to the country by winning the Gold medals in the Asian Games held in China.
