THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The three-cornered fight in Nemom constituency will be one of the most keenly-watched in the upcoming assembly elections. However, many key infrastructure projects, especially the railway coaching terminal, have been lying unfinished in the area for decades
The Nemom constituency is sure to witness a fierce three-cornered fight in the upcoming assembly elections. But beyond votes and numbers, the people of Nemom have been disappointed with unfinished infrastructure projects for decades now. The most important on this list is the coaching terminal at Nemom — a key infrastructure project that has been in limbo since Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal laid its foundation stone in March 2019.
Fund crunch was cited as a major hurdle, delaying land acquisition and putting brakes on the long-pending proposal. The terminal would decongest the crowded terminals at Trivandrum Central and help trains keep time. Though the Union ministry had granted `275 crore for the project, the railway authorities haven’t proceeded much with the implementation due to a lack of funds for land acquisition. The Railways has placed a fresh proposal for `207 crores with the Union government towards this.
According to officials of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division, the notification for land acquisition has been issued, but the project will not progress without the Central fund allocation. Around 15 hectares of land need to be acquired, which would require doubling the seven-kilometre stretch from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Nemom. The proposed components at the terminal include coaching lines, pit lines, stabling lines with shunting neck and integrated sick lines. It will increase connectivity to the Vizhinjam International Container Terminal.
“We have requested Rs 207 crore. It is up to the Centre now. We cannot proceed without further funding. Around 15 hectares of land between Thiruvananthapuram and Nemom has to be acquired for the doubling work. The social impact study has been done and land acquisition is the only hurdle left,” the official added.