NE BUSINESS BUREAU
CHENNAI, SEP 1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate, inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for Railway infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,000 crore around 6 pm at the Convention Hall, Cochin International Airport Ltd, Kochi in Kerala on Thursday.
Strengthening Rail Infrastructure in Kerala!
Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of various Railway projects in Kerala, today at 6 pm. #RailInfra4Kerala
Watch Live at: https://t.co/4M9AUOmxkb pic.twitter.com/Y0CqUB5V4N
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) September 1, 2022
Among the rail development projects for the State of Kerala, Prime Minister will dedicate to the Nation the Doubling of 27 Km Kuruppanthara – Kottayam-Chingavanam section completed at a cost of Rs 750 Crore. With this, the entire 634 Km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru is fully doubled now, promising faster and seamless connectivity for the travelling public. Significantly, lakhs of devotees bound for Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Shrine will conveniently alight at Kottayam or Chengannur railway station in the doubled section and proceed by road to Pamba.
- PM will dedicate to the Nation the Doubling of Kuruppanthara – Kottayam-Chingavanam section and flag off Kottayam – Ernakulam Special train service – Cost of the doubling project Rs 750 Crore
- PM will dedicate to the Nation the newly electrified section between Kollam – Punalur and flag off Kollam – Punalur Special Train service – Cost of the project Rs 76 Crore
- PM will lay the foundation stone for the Redevelopment of three Railway stations in Kerala–Ernakulam Junction (Estimated cost: Rs 445 Crore), Ernakulam Town (Estimated cost: Rs 226 Crore) and Kollam (Estimated cost: Rs 388 Crore) – Estimated total cost of station redevelopment projects – Rs 1059 Crores
The PM will also dedicate to the Nation the newly electrified section between Kollam – Punalur completed at a cost of Rs 76 Crore. Kerala is marching ahead in Mission Electrification 2023 projects with almost 100% of its vital routes fully electrified. The picturesque Kollam – Punalur electrified section will offer a fillip to eco-tourism besides serving as a faster and affordable means of transportation.
During the function, the Prime Minister will also flag off special train services between Kottayam-Ernakulam and Kollam – Punalur.
The PM will lay the foundation stone for the Redevelopment of three Railway stations in Kerala–Ernakulam Junction (Estimated cost: Rs.445 Crore), Ernakulam Town (Estimated cost: Rs 226 Crore) and Kollam (Estimated cost: Rs 388 Crore). The Estimated total cost of these station redevelopment projects is Rs.1,059 Crores. These railway stations will be equipped with state-of-the-art amenities and world-class facilities such as dedicated arrival/departure corridors, aesthetically designed interiors with facilities for differently-abled passengers, Sky-walks, spacious parking lots, attractive landscape with gardens and inter-modal transport facilities. In line with Govt.’s ambitious Aatmanirbhar Bharat, these railway stations will be equipped with Solar panels, sewage treatment plants, energy-efficient lighting and rain-water harvesting facilities.
Local functions will be held at Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam and Kollam railway stations. Elected representatives will grace the function at these locations.
A new MEMU Express Train service (T.No.16309/16310) will be introduce on 2nd September 2022. Two pairs of Passenger Train services (T.Nos.06661/06669 & 06666/06670) presently operated in Kollam – Punalur section will be converted into MEMU services and commence operations from 2nd September 2022.
