Kochi: The state , which has received a mere Rs 110 crore in the Union railway budget for track doubling as against the Rs 400 crore it had anticipated, has been presented with a problem as the existing lines are almost saturated and no new trains can be run without doubling the tracks.
“One of the reasons why no new trains were announced is that the current lines are almost saturated. Doubling the Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kayamkulam route is crucial as it can increase its train service capacity six times. We had expected at least Rs 400 crore to complete the doubling work over the entire 115 km stretch over the next two years, but did not receive it. Even last year they first provided Rs 117 crore and later made a further allocation of Rs 200 crore for the project,” said a senior divisional railway officer.
Under the present budget the Chengannur-Chingavanam (26.5 km) line has received Rs 36.67 crore, the Mulanthuruthy-Kuruppanthara (24 km) line, Rs 57 crore , the Mavelikkara-Chengannur line, Rs 1.18 crore and the Kuruppanthura-Chingavanam line (26.54 km) , Rs 10 crore when the doubling work has been completed only in the Ernakulam-Piravom Road (25 kms) and the Kayamkulam-Chengannur (20 km) sections.
While doubling the 70 km Piravom Road-Chengannur section needs another Rs 600 crore , the work on the Kuruppanthara-Chingavanam section requires another Rs 311.15 crore to complete.
So far the state government has handed over 10 hectare of the nearly 100 hectares needed to complete the project that is fully funded by the railways.
In another disappointment to the state, its demand to introduce an evening train from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram has also been turned down. “They could have at least extended the Dhanbad-Alapuzha Express to Thiruvananthapuram as currently there is no train after 5.20 pm on this route till midnight. The budget is a disappointment for the state in terms of train services,” rued All Kerala Railway Users Association president, Paul K J Manvettom.
