Kochi: The Railways has finally taken up the long-pending demand for setting up a railway terminal on its 110-acre land at Ponnurunni near the Vytilla Mobility Hub.
The railway board directed the Chief Engineer, Southern Railways, to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a Detailed Project Report on the terminal project. This after Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden called on Union Railway Minis-ter Piyush Goyal at New Delhi and sought immediate measures to make the terminal project a reality.
A meet to be attended by Railway Constructi-on wing officials, senior divisional officers and the elected representatives is scheduled on July six at Ernak-ulam Guest House to discuss the project implementation.
Earlier, the divisional authorities had prepared a preliminary report on the terminal project and suggested for setting up 18 platforms and six pit-lines as part of the terminal.
Hibi Eden briefed the union minister on how the project would facilitate inter-transportation modes with the Hub soon to have boat, road transport and metro connectivity. Besides the Ernak-ulam South Junction railway station is already congested and the space issue will get complex with completion of track doubling in Kottayam section.
In his memorandum, Hibi Eden rued that the Centre is going slow on implementation of a slew of railway projects concerning the state. However, Goyal charged the state government with failing to handover required land for implementing the projects.
The union minister assured Eden that the terminal project would not suffer as the railways already possess 110-acre land at the prime area.
