Railways are gearing up to complete another 57 km of the much-delayed doubling along the Kayamkulam-Ernakulam stretch, via Kottayam and Alappuzha, this December.
The 12-km stretch between Piravom Road-Kuruppanthura, the 27-km line between Chingavanam and Chengannur (both via Kottayam) and the 18-km Ambalappuzha-Haripad stretch via Alappuzha are the corridors identified for completion this year.
Railways have fixed March 2017 as deadline to complete the doubling between Kuruppanthura and Chingavanam.
Once this is achieved by the next financial year, Railways will be able to complete the doubling of the 114-km railway corridor from Kayamkulam to Ernakulam via Kottayam that began 13 years ago (2003).
Railways will be able to considerably increase the speed of long-distance mail and express trains, ensure punctuality and bring in new trains to the capital once the Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam stretch is completed.
For Railways, it will be a big achievement as it had been able to complete doubling of 12 km annually in the State during the last five years. The State had been allocated Rs. 892.72 crore this year for doubling works in both divisions.
The delay
The delay in commissioning the13-km Piravom Road-Kuruppanthura and the 9-km stretch from Chengannur to Thiruvalla, which have been doubled, has drawn criticism. Trains can save another 30 minutes once the 22 km is commissioned. The stretch has been awaiting inspection of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) since April.
Divisional Railway Manager Prakash Bhutani told The Hindu that the mandatory inspection by the CRS for commissioning the stretch will take place later his month.
On the 100-km stretch from Kayamkulam via Alappuzha to Ernakulam, the 18-km track work from Haripad to Ambalappuzha is progressing.
Meagre allocations in the railway budget, getting earth, restrictions on quarries and delay on the part of the State to acquire the land needed for doubling have also delayed the doubling works.
In Kottayam, the State is yet to acquire the remaining 16.70 hectares of land.