CHENGANNUR: The proposals in the railway budget to link Thiruvananthapuram and Chengannur through a suburban service and beautify Chegannur station along with other pilgrim stations bring new hopes to this station in central Travancore.
Lying 91 kilometers away from the Sabarimala temple, the station was announced as the ‘Gateway of Sabarimala” by the Railways in 2009.
According to Railway, this station generates an annual income of nearly Rs 36 crore and daily revenue is not less than Rs 3.5 lakh.
The revenue from the ticket reservation had swelled to around Rs 3 crore during the previous Sabarimala pilgrimage season. “Pilgrims are considering the service of KSRTC from the premises of the railway
station as an additional facility. At present, railway provides many facilities at the station including bathing ghat, toilets and pilgrim shelter. Lift and escalator facility is also provided at the station,” said Kodikkunnil Suresh MP.
There are complaints too. “Pilgrims are expecting more facilities for their primary needs and resting places. At present, many facilities are not functioning. Sometimes, functioning of lift and escalator have been disrupted. The roofing of platforms is insufficient. Rain water falls inside the platform and resting place at the Platform 1. Therefore, railway should provide a special project for the railway station,” said D Vijayakumar, national vice president of Akhila Bharata Ayyappa Seva Sangham.
The special train services, which have now been operating from Kollam, can be shifted to Chengannur if the land near the Cheriyanadu railway station utilised as shunting yard.
major Pilgrim station cries for attention
■ Incomplete roofs need repair
■ Toilets on the platforms not functioning.
■ Absence of a proper food court
■ Tussle with Chengannur municipality over the cleaning of drainage through the railway land.
■ A multi-storey parking facility needed for the station due to the absence of sufficient land.