Kochi: Trains running through Kottayam route could save 10 to 15 minutes in running time soon as the doubling work of a key section has finally got over. Trial runs will be conducted later this week in the 12 km Kuruppanthara-Piravom section where construction activities were originally slated to get completed in March last.
“The trials will be held for three weeks and an inspection by the Railway Safety Commissioner is scheduled on July 20,” a senior official said. Similarly, the nine-km long Thiruvalla-Changanassery would also be readied in a month’s time and both the sections would be opened to rail traffic by August first week.
“With that, train movement could be done smoothly in the Thiruvananthapuram-Changanassery and Ernakulam-Kuruppanthura stretches. The trains would save 10 to 15 minutes in running time on an average besides facilitating introduction of new trains,” the official said.
For the last two years, no daily trains were added in the division due to saturation of line capacity. Meanwhile, the work in the Kuruppanthara-Chingavanam section is moving at a slow pace due to land acquisition issues. “The railways has contributed its share and now the state government has to hasten acquisition of remaining 30 acres,” he said.
“We expected more from the state post signing of the cost sharing agreement for key railway projects. It’s high time the railways introduce the new trains already announced in the budget,” said Paul K J Manvettom, President of All Kerala Railway Users Association.
