On the right track: 'World-class makeover' for Ernakulam Junction and Town railway stations

Passengers will no longer have to wait in stuffy and poorly furnished waiting rooms or climb up stairs leading to foot over bridges to reach the platforms all the while dragging their heavy baggage.
Renovation work progressing in Ernakulam Junction Railway station (top) and Town Railway station.
Renovation work progressing in Ernakulam Junction Railway station (top) and Town Railway station.

KOCHI:  The Ernakulam Junction and Town railway stations are on track to get a “world-class makeover”. Passengers will no longer have to wait in stuffy and poorly furnished waiting rooms or climb up stairs leading to foot over bridges to reach the platforms all the while dragging their heavy baggage. 

As per the detailed project report prepared by the Railways, the Ernakulam Junction station (aka Ernakulam South station) will get a makeover at Rs 299.95 crore. The time frame for the completion of the project under way has been set as 24 months. 

The façade of the station building will be designed to reflect the traditional architectural style of Kerala. The revamped West Terminal structure will house a ticketing area, waiting lounges and commercial space. Notably, the complex will be linked to the Ernakulam South Metro Station through a skywalk. 

Overall, 14 escalators and 22 lifts will be added to the existing ones. Multi-level car parking (MLCP) with the facility to park 108 cars and 90 two-wheelers along with EV charging ports, too, will be set up. 

Ernakulam Town 

So far, Rs 150.28 crores has been sanctioned for the Town station redevelopment, which is expected to be completed in 36 months. The station building is proposed to be developed as an eco-friendly “green building”.An air-concourse with skywalk connectivity, a new foot over bridge and multi-level car parking have also been proposed. Measures will be implemented to ensure hassle-free movement of passengers and provide world-class passenger amenities such as toilets, cloakroom, baby care, feeding room, help desk, commercial outlets and kiosk.

Footfall
The Ernakulam Junction station, which handles 128 scheduled train services daily, has an annual footfall of 1.96 crore passengers and earns over Rs 100 crore. Handling about 90 daily services, the Ernakulam Town station registers an annual footfall of 1.02 crore passengers and earns over Rs 20 crore.
 

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