Ashwini Vaishnaw: 35 railway stations in Kerala will be completely reconstructed

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced new plans for railway development in Kerala during a press conference here on Sunday. He stated that 35 railway stations in Kerala will be completely reconstructed as part of the initiative.

The minister noted that while Rs 370 crore was allocated for railway development in Kerala until ten years ago, the central government is now providing Rs 3,000 crore for the same.

He highlighted that Rs 393 crore has been earmarked for the complete reconstruction of Thrissur railway station.

Vaishnaw outlined several key upgrades, including the addition of third and fourth lanes on the Mangaluru-Shoranur line and Shoranur-Palakad-Coimbatore, as well as the third lane in the Shoranur-Ernakulam, Ernakulam-Kottayam-Thiruvananthapuram and Thiruvananthapuram-Nagarkovil stretch.

As part of efforts to enhance efficiency, trains on the network have achieved speeds of 100 km per hour, with some segments enforcing speeds of 110 km per hour.

The minister also announced an increase in the number of MEMU trains in the state.

In response to concerns about delays caused by the Vande Bharat service on the Ernakulam-Alappuzha-Kayamkulam route, Vaishnaw indicated that passenger feedback would be sought to address these issues.

He mentioned that the Railways is open to rerouting Vande Bharat through Kottayam based on public opinion.

Regarding infrastructure expansion, the minister said that 460 hectares of land is required for dual-track construction, with Rs 2,100 crore already allocated to the state government for this purpose.

However, only 14 per cent of the necessary land has been acquired so far, and efforts are being made to expedite the process.