THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first-ever narrow-gauge miniature train in South India coming up at Veli Tourist Village in the capital will start rolling within a few weeks. The Rs 9-crore project is expected to give a complete facelift to the tourist village, one of the most popular tourist spots in Thiruvananthapuram. An official of the tourism department said the trial run of the much-awaited miniature train would begin by March first week. A top official of the Tourism Department said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the miniature train and the redesigned Veli Tourist Village before Vishu.
Technical director of Quilon Miniature Railway Sudarman J said the miniature train at Veli would be the first in South India to have a narrow-gauge rail route. The train will have one loco engine and three coaches which can accommodate 48 passengers and two crew members. The 1.5-km rail route is expected to give a 20-minute scenic joyride to the visitors.
“The only narrow-gauge train running right now in the country is the toy train in Darjeeling. The rail route-laying work is progressing fast and we will be able to finish the work within a week or two. Coaches would be delivered soon and if everything goes as planned, we will be able complete the trial run by the first week of March. The train will have a battery-operated engine while the station and the coaches will be solar-powered,” said Sudarman.
The miniature train’s stations have been named Veli Village station and Pozhikkara station. “The installation of a pre-fabricated rail bridge is pending. The 69-metre-long bridge will connect Pozhikara and Veli Tourist Village. Once the bridge is complete, we will start the trial run. The coaches will be delivered by a Bengaluru-based company. The coaches and the engine cost around Rs 1.15 crore,” said Sudarman. The state government has sanctioned Rs 63 crore for the makeover project. The project is executed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Limited (ULCCSL) with technical assistance from Quilon Miniature Railway.
“We couldn’t start the project right after getting the administrative sanction because of rain. Almost 75 per cent of the work has been completed. The work of the amphitheatre and redesigning the lawns are progressing well. All works are in the final stages and would be completed by March,” said the official.
The redesigned village includes
Amphitheatre
Urban park
Convention centre
Swimming pool
Pedal and speed boats
Multipurpose facilitation centre
CCTV surveillance of the village
Green protocol to be implemented at the village
Lack of a proper waste management mechanism at Veli Tourist Village is going to be a major challenge for the authorities. Being one of the popular tourist destinations in the state capital, Veli Tourist Village is frequented by hundreds daily.With waste management becoming a major concern, the tourist authorities are planning to impose green protocol.
“We will not allow plastic inside the village. Strict restrictions would be imposed at the entry point to ensure that visitors don’t bring plastic bottles and other items,” said the official.
Currently, the authorities burn large quantities of waste.“Two parties have come forward with proposals to set up waste disposal mechanisms. Discussions are on to set up a mechanism to ensure proper disposal of dry waste and food waste generated here. Once we reopen the park after the revamp, a mechanism would be in place to take care of the waste generated at the village,” the official added.