NE BUSINESS BUREAU
CHENNAI, APR 24
The Southern railway on Monday announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala to unveil several infrastructure projects for the state on Tuesday. In this connection, PM will flag off Thiruvanthapuram-Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express and dedicate/lay the foundation stone for rail projects worth over Rs 1,900 crore besides inaugurating various State Govt and Kochi Metro projects for the people of Kerala.
All set to bask in the scenic beauty and serve the people of Kerala, the India's 16th #VandeBharat train stands immaculate, ready to be flagged off soon!#VandeBharatExpress pic.twitter.com/oxXmOozlUw
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 24, 2023
The Prime Minister will flag off the prestigious Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, the first Vande Bharat in Kerala, from Thiruvananthapuram Central railway Station at 10:30 am. This Vande Bharat Express between the state capital Thiruvananthapuram and historical town Kasaragod will be the first Vande Bharat exclusively serving the state of Kerala. This premium service will reduce the average travel time between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod by almost three hours and will offer faster connectivity between Southern and Northern Kerala.
Young Artists!
Essay writing, poetry and drawing competitions were conducted in various schools in Kollam, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Winners will get to travel on Kerala’s first #VandeBharat train.#VandeBharatExpress pic.twitter.com/GhTWtA0ZXN
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 24, 2023
- PM will dedicate 179-km Electrified section between Palakkad-Palani-Dindigul completed at a cost of Rs 242 Crore
- PM will lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Varkala Sivagiri and Kozhikode at a total cost of Rs 1,140 crore
- PM will lay thefoundation stone for comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area at a cost of Rs 156 crore
- PM will lay the foundation stone for increasing the sectionalspeed of Thiruvananthapuram – Shoranur (326.83 Km) section at a cost of Rs 381 crore
The train will cover 11 Districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.
Prime Minister will dedicate the Kochi water metro to the nation. This one of its kind projects connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with Kochi city.
As part of the event to be held at Central Stadium, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, the PM will dedicate to the Nation, the electrified 179 Km section between Palakkad-Palani-Dindigul commissioned at a cost of Rs242 crore.
One of the significant sections interlinking the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Palakkad-Palani-Dindigulsection has been brought under electrified traction to offer environment-friendly modes of transportation and attain zero carbon emissions.
The electrification of Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section obviates the need for traction change for all traffic between Dindigul in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala saving considerable time and ensuring faster transportation. Moreover, the section is an important freight route and the stations located enroute will get faster connectivity with the commissioning of this electrified section. The Electrification will pave the way for introduction of MEMU services and will bring about seamless connectivity providing faster access to pilgrimage and tourism destinations.
Further, thePM will lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of three major railway stations in Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram, Varkala Sivagiri and Kozhikode at a total cost of Rs 1,140 crore.
Thiruvananthapuram, Varkala Sivagiri and Kozhikode will be placed on the map of world-class stations sporting spectacular modern look blended with culture and heritage values of Kerala, aesthetically designed interiors with improved ambience, landscaped exterior and other airport-like facilities. All these three stations will sport futuristic world-class amenities promising to meet the requirements of the next 40 years with seamless movement of passengers by separate Arrival and Departure corridors, Multi level vehicle parkings and multi-modal connectivity.
In addition, the PM will lay the foundation stone for comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area at a cost of Rs 156 crore. This includes development of Trivandrum’s satellite terminal Kochuveliand the new additional terminal at Nemom. Once the project is complete, there will be hassle-free flow of rail traffic from all the three terminals greatly decongesting Thiruvananthapuram Central and thereby augmenting the terminal capacity and paving way for introduction of more train services.
Nemom Terminal will facilitate handling of train services both towards Ernakulam & beyond and also towards Nagercoil / Madurai. It will provide additional stabling facility and reduce detention to rains at signals short of Thiruvananthapuram Central. The two additional Platforms and one additional Stabling line at Kochuveli will facilitate handling of additional trains from Kochuveli Terminal
Apart from the above projects, the PM will lay the foundation stone for increasing the sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram –Shoranur (326.83 Km) section at a cost of Rs 381 crore. Once the sectional speed of the section is increased, Kerala rail passengers can look forward to much faster trains and reduced travel time with faster connectivity to the major destinations in Kerala.
