Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

State to lobby for railway projects

Special Correspondent

Demands an additional EMU car shed to be located in Kollam

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has identified a slew of railway projects to be included in the upcoming Railway Budget. Apart from a joint venture proposal for a bogey and parts production unit with the public sector Autokast Ltd., the State has demanded two centres for setting up EMU car sheds, a periodical overhauling workshop, new railway lines, doubling and electrification of tracks.

Lalu's assurance

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Law Minister M. Vijayakumar, who is also in charge of Railways Development, said Union Railways Minister Lalu Prasad had given an assurance during a high-level meeting in the presence of the Chief Minister that the necessary budgetary allocation would be made for the proposed Autokast joint venture. The Ministry had appointed a consultant to study the proposal and submit report within three months. The Industry Department would work out the modalities relating to the venture.

The State also demanded an additional EMU car shed to be located in Kollam. The Ministry had sanctioned one in Palakkad. Kollam would be an ideal location for an additional shed as it would facilitate two-way suburban services southwards and northwards. The Ministry had sanctioned the centre in principle, Mr. Vijayakumar said. He said the meeting, which he too attended, held detailed discussions on setting up a periodical overhauling workshop. Nemom was identified as the location. Besides, Railways had 50 acres of land in Nemom.

More than 1,600 coaches were sent to Chennai for yearly maintenance. Every month, 135 coaches were sent for maintenance there, he said.

Budgetary provisions

The Railway Minister had promised to make adequate budgetary provisions to complete the doubling of the remaining 27 km on the Shoranur-Mangalore sector. The State had also proposed the doubling of Ernakulam-Kayamkulam sector, both via Kottayam and Alappuzha, for which Rs.300 crores would be required.

However, the State wanted to give priority to the doubling of Kottayam sector, he said. As far as electrification was concerned, the State had put up two new proposals - electrification of Thrissur-Guruvayoor and Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari sectors. However, it had asked the Centre to give priority to the electrification of the Shoranur-Mangalore line.

The Railway Minister agreed to include Thiruvananthapuram in the proposal to develop 15 major stations into world class ones. The State had also urged the Centre to consider Kochi's claim considering its importance as an industrial and commercial city.

Mr. Vijayakumar said the Government had also suggested two new railway lines - Thalassery-Mysore and Nilambur-Nanchankode.

The Centre had sanctioned the Angamaly-Azhutha section on the Sabari line with an allocation of Rs.5 crores.

The Union Ministry would also consider three new trains in this year's budget, with priority to the Bangalore sector. Thiruvananthapuram-Bangalore daily service, Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi via Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram-Bhavnagar are the three new train services.

The Railway Minister had announced the Garib Rath between Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi.

Rail over-bridges

With regard to rail over-bridges, the Centre was willing to take up the work, provided the State Government took up work on approach roads and land acquisition.

Mr. Vijayakumar said Railway officials would visit the State in the first week of February for pre-budget discussions.

The MPs from the State would attend the discussions. This would be followed up with another high-level meeting in Delhi in the second week of February.

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