KOCHI: The Railways would invest Rs 3,000 crore for development of busy junctions like Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Shornur and complete line doubling works in the state before the end of this financial year, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has said. Acknowledging the complaint that interests of the state have been sidelined in the past, Prabhu said Kerala deserves a better treatment. The state would also be gifted with some new projects soon, the Minister said.
“The state has been neglected for long when it comes to Railway projects. Kerala deserves better treatment and care should be taken to ensure that the state gets what it wants. New projects are on the pipeline and the Southern Railway general manager has already given me word that the line doubling works will be completed within this financial year itself,” said Suresh Prabhu, before flagging off the DEMU service from Ernakulam South Railway Station on Sunday.
Brushing off Hibi Eden’s fears that the DEMU train may be discontinued after the inauguration, Prabhu said: “This is your train and no one can take it away from you.” Transport Minister Aryadan Muhammad alleged that new coaches allotted for Kerala were being “hijacked” by Tamil Nadu. “The trains operating in the state always run with old coaches. The new coaches were often hijacked by Tamil Nadu. This shows the need to create a Kerala zone,” he said.
