The poor progress of the doubling of the rail lines between Kayamkulam and Ernakulam, via Kottayam and Alappuzha, continues to be a thorn in the flesh of the State railway network. Only 26 km of the 114-km Ernakulam- Kottayam- Kayamkulam stretch and 14 km of the 60-km Erankulam-Alappuzha- Kayamkulam stretch have been doubled so far despite the Railways making available funds for the work on the two congested stretches.
Delay on the part of the government in acquiring land and reluctance of local people to part with their land are cited as the main reasons for the delay. A top railway official said the delay costs the State dearly as it hampers the introduction of new trains and speeding up of long-distance mail and express trains. Besides, one of the coaching depots sanctioned in the last Railway Budget is in Kottayam.
The land acquisition proceedings for doubling fall in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Pathanamthitta districts. While the doubling work for the entire 114-km stretch via Kottayam got Railways' nod long back, the Ambalappuzha-Thuravur section is yet to get the green signal. As much as 34.5 hectares of land is needed in Kottayam district alone. In Pathanamthitta district, 1.2906 hectares of land needs to be acquired in the Chengannur-Chingavanam stretch.
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Railway officials said the delay in getting land and Collectors' permits to carryout the work has been taken up at the highest level of the State administration. The fast-track mechanism introduced to expedite the process has also not worked out.
The only solace is that the doubling of the 18-km Ernakulam-Mulanthuruthi and 8-km Mavelikara-Kayamkulam stretches has been completed. Even those in the construction wing of Railways say they cannot set a target for commissioning the double line via Kottayam and Alappuzha, as land has not yet been handed over.
Railways have decided to abandon two tunnels near Kottayam and construct a new one that can accommodate two lines, to complete the doubling of the stretch via Kottayam. The decision to abandon both the tunnels that run a total length of 200 metres has been taken mainly in view of the cost involved in widening the tunnel to accommodate two lines, inability to get land, among other things.
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A new tunnel of 200 metres length and about 20 metres wide is to be constructed to the right of the existing tunnel. Railways are now waiting for the intervention of the State to get the land needed to take up the doubling work on the stretch where the new tunnel will come up.