THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The Tourism Department has received government sanction for a Rs 9 crore solar miniature-train service project in the Veli tourist village. It is part of the several projects to the tune of Rs 30 crore being initiated with the potential to change the face of the famed tourist centre in the capital city, said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
The 2-km train journey will give tourists a panoramic view of the greenery and the backwaters. The department is aiming to complete the project, a first of its kind initiative in the country, in 18 months, said Kadakampally. The blueprint of the project has already been drawn up.
The train will be eco-friendly and the entire facility, including the ‘railway station’, will function fully on solar energy. The excess power generated through the project would be linked with the KSEB grid. As a special attraction for children, the train will emit artificial smoke to create an impression of the steam engines of the past.
The train will have a carrying capacity of 45 and the service will cost Rs 30 per person.The department hopes the train service mooted by the Tourism Federation Ltd (Tourfed) will attract tourists from all over the city and neighbouring districts. The Tourism Department has already sanctioned a Rs 20 crore worth face-lift for the tourist village, which includes a modern convention centre with an estimated outlay of Rs 9.98 crore, a Rs 4.48 crore project to set up and eco-park and develop a coastal path inside the village. These will be completed in a year, the minister said. An urban park for an estimated project cost of Rs 4.99 crore is also in the pipeline and is expected to be completed in a year.
Green ride
‘The 2-km train journey will give tourists a panoramic view of the greenery and the backwaters. The department is aiming to complete the project, a first of its kind initiative in the country, in 18 months’
The blueprint of the project has already been drawn up.
The train will have a carrying capacity of 45 and the service will cost Rs 30 per person.