The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Four express trains to have 24 coaches soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Four express trains to have 24 coaches soon

Staff Reporter

14 model stations in division are under various stages of development

Thiruvananthapuram: The Thiruvananthapuram railway division will soon introduce 24 coaches in select express trains, for the first time in Southern Railway, Divisional Railway Manager S. Vijayakumaran said here on Friday.

He was addressing officers and staff after unfurling the Tricolour at the divisional headquarters here on the occasion of Republic Day.

Mr. Vijayakumaran inspected a guard of honour by the Railway Protection Force.

Mr. Vijayakumaran said train no. 6041/6042 Chennai-Alappuzha Express, 2625/2626 Thiruvananthapuram-New Delhi Kerala Express, 2623/2624 Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Mail and 6345/6346 Thiruvananthapuram-Kurla Netravathi Express would soon have 24 coaches.

He said important railway stations in the division would witness a sea change in the coming months in facilities such as parking and concourse areas, waiting halls, retiring rooms, platform surface and station lighting. Fourteen approved model stations in the division were under various stages of development.

He said the division was at the forefront in executing the "touch and feel" concept of the railways. Commensurate with the growth of passenger traffic, the railways are taking up passenger-friendly initiatives. New booking offices would be set up at Nagercoil, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam junction and Ernakulam town soon to end the hassles faced by commuters. Foot over-bridges would cone up at Chirayinkeezh, Ernakulam junction, Kottayam and Thrissur stations.

Air-conditioned dormitories would be provided at Kottayam and Thrissur stations. In passenger amenities, Thiruvananthapuram railway division was at the forefront in the railway zone, having spent Rs. 7.4 crore already against the normal spending of Rs. 4 crore to Rs. 6 crore every year.

Mr. Vijayakumaran said seven more unreserved ticketing systems would be introduced in the division this year. With this, the number of stations having them would go up to 25.

The projects taken up by the railways were progressing satisfactorily. Higher allocation of funds for the doubling of the Ernakulam-Kottayam line would speed up the work. Work on seven road over-bridges targeted for this year was progressing well. Gauge conversion on the Kollam-Punalur section was progressing.

He said although the overall safety performance was satisfactory, the increasing number of accidents at unmanned level crossings was a matter of concern. To do away with such crossings in a phased manner in the State, the railways had decided to construct "limited-use road under-bridges" at eight locations.

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