KOCHI: The decision by Southern Railway to launch diesel electric multiple unit (Demu) trains between Aluva-Ernakulam-Tripunithura will give a fresh lease of life to the long pending demands of the revitalization of the Old Railway Station and the Cochin Harbour Terminus in Willingdon Island. Both the stations are now in neglected state.
However, the authorities are yet to decide on the number of Demu trains that will be pressed into service along the stretch. As per the initial plan, the Demu services will be launched between Aluva and Tripunithura connecting Kalamassery, Edappally, Ernakulam town station. In the next phases, the authorities are likely to extend the service to Cherthala connecting Aluva with Old Railway station, Ernakulam South Jn, Cochin Harbour Terminus, Kumablam and Cherthala.
The Town Planners had been demanding for the past few years for the introduction of Suburban Rail Service or Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) through the existing network. It was also a major proposal that was listed in the City Mobility Plan for the city. The Railways own 22 acres of land at the old Railway station and the proposed MEMU service will connect the old station with Cochin Harbour Terminus in Willingdon Island. The Mattanchery Halt Railway Station in Willingdon Island can be the suburban train interchange node for places including Palluruthy, Edakochi, Kumbalangi, Chellanam, Mattanchery, Edakochi and Fort Kochi.
Technically, a diesel electric multiple unit is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines and requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages.
Railway officials had already hinted that there will be at least two Demu rakes introduced for the Kochi service and the first set will be ready by the first week of July. The coaches have been manufactured at the Integral Coach factory in Peramboor.
Meanwhile, the Town Planners are of the opinion that the plan will be more beneficial to the public if the services are extended to Harbour Terminal. Along with the renovation of the old Railway Station, the Railways can also extend services to Island, after renovating the Harbour Terminus. The entire West Kochi area will benefit if passenger and express trains are extended to the Island. At present only goods trains conduct service along the route.
However, since the stretch from Atlantis to the Harbour Terminus has not been electrified the goods trains have to change engines at Ernakulam South Railway.
The signaling and communication systems also have to be re-established in the Harbour line. It is estimated that the electrification of this line will take a minimum of four months. So the extension of services will happen only in the next phase of the project.
With the introduction of Demu and the commissioning of Kochi Metro Rail, which is expected to be completed by June 2016, the traffic congestion in the city will likely ease to a certain extent.