The Hindu : Track doubling to Mulanthuruthi begins

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Track doubling to Mulanthuruthi begins

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI MAY 21. The work on railway track doubling between Ernakulam and Mulanthuruthi commenced today with the Union Minister of State for Railways, O. Rajagopal, laying the foundation stone for the project at the railway junction here. The 17.37-km line doubling work is estimated to cost Rs.58.92 crores.

There are two major bridges (across the Kaniampuzha river and Karinjachira thodu) and 48 minor bridges in the Ernakulam-Mulanthuruthi sector. As much as 11 hectares of land has to be acquired for the additional line, for which steps have already been initiated. The station buildings at Thripunithura and Mulanthuruthi will be rebuilt. Four road overbridges are to be reconstructed. The doubling work up to Ponnurunni is expected to be complete this year with an allotment of Rs. 3.7 crores. The project is the first phase of the doubling proposed on the Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kayamkulam section.

Mr. Rajagopal said the Railway Ministry was following a new criterion for allocation of funds to States. The population, length of railway line and work taken up and finished are being considered for forming an index. It is according to the new index that Kerala has been allocated Rs.260 crores this year.

Mr.Rajagopal said he was keen on providing more facilities at the Ernakulam Junction and Town railway stations. Additional entry points for the North and South stations in Ernakulam and a new building at the South station are part of the plans, but they could not be taken up due to non-availability of funds.

The financial position was such that though Rs.38,000 crores was required for railway development works all over the country, only Rs.1800 crores was available. Priority was given to doubling of the Mangalore-Shoranur line during last. A sum of Rs. 118 crores was set apart for it, but Rs.140 crores had been spent on it. The Mangalore-Kozhikode line is expected to be complete by next year and the line up to Shoranur by 2004.

There has been a demand for Kalamasserry-Eroor bypass, but it requires a survey, which will be taken up in due course. As a Keralite travelling all over the State, he was aware of the problems of commuters and would try his level best to add more railway amenities in the State.

C.M. Dinesh Mani, Kochi Mayor, George Eden, MP, K.B. Mohammed Kutty, district panchayat president, C. K. Sharma, divisional railway manager, K. Raman Pillai, member, Passenger Amenities Committee, N. Aravindan, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Southern Railway, and M. Satheesh, Chief Engineer (Construction) spoke.

Electric train soon

The Minister announced a few development projects on the occasion, which was also meant to commemorate 150 years of Indian Railways. Kerala will join the electric track map with the running of electric trains in the Erode-Palakkad sector this year. This will facilitate high speed travel in short sectors and will be helpful to commuters who are now facing problems due to delayed operations of trains en route.

Computerised passenger reservation service (PRS) will be provided to four district headquarters in the State. These are Kalpetta in Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram and Idukki.

This project is part of the scheme to provide PRS facility to 150 more towns all over the country this year, which is being celebrated as `Passenger amenities year'.

Another important project is the survey for the Vallarpadom route where an international container terminal is planned.

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