THRISSUR: With the Modi government set to present its first annual budget for 2015-16, the people of Central Kerala are expecting a fair deal for the state this time.
Unlike the previous years, the state government, railway authorities, MPs and MLAs have put in time and energy to do homework this time.
The state government has convened a meeting of people’s representatives, railway authorities and railway officials much ahead of the budget and presented a detailed wish-list of the state to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, said Krishnakumar, general secretary, Thrissur Railway Passengers Association.The MPs and Southern Railway authorities have also submitted separate proposals considering the long-pending demands of Central Kerala.
The top among them are expeditious measures to lay third and fourth railway lines in Shoranur-Ernakulam stretch; installation of automatic signalling system in the stretch; introduction of new intercity and MEMU services for Salem and Coimbatore, respectively from Ernakulam.Speedy beginning of Guruvayur-Thirunavaya rail line, demand to increase speed of trains in Guruvayur-Thrissur stretch, and more fund to raise the Thrissur railway station to international standards as announced earlier also figure in the priority list of rail passengers. C N Jayadevan MP, in a memorandum to the Union Minister, has requested to introduce an Intercity Express between Ernakulam and Salem, among other demands, taking note of the demands of passengers.
The Thrissur Railway Passengers Association has also submitted a representation urging to introduce automatic signalling system in Shoranur-Ernakulam stretch, where the overuse of rail track has been affecting the speed of the passenger traffic and freight movement, which is currently below 75 km/hr.He also sought the extension of Kannur-Shoranur passenger train service to Thrissur, Kannur-Alappuzha Express to T’Puram using the rake of Vanchinad Express, and Chennai-Mettupalayam Nilagiri Express to Guruvayur. Modification of the departure timings of Shoranur-Ernakulam passenger train, Ernakulam-Palakkad MEMU service, Kannur-Ernakulam Intercity Express and Gvr-Ekm Passenger train from Guruvayur are also sought.