Kerala proposes more trains ahead of budget

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has submitted various proposals to the centre for inclusion in the railway budget to be presented on February 25.  They include  making Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamuddeen Rajadhani Express and  Janshatabdi Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Kannur as daily trains.

Currently, the  Janshatabdi Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Kannur  train operates  five times a week and  Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamuddeen Rajadhani Express thrice  a week.  There is also a demand for making Nilambur-Thiruvananthapuram Rajya Rani Express an independent train service. Now Rajya Rani Express  is  connected to  Amrutha Express from Palakkad  town to Thiruvananthapuram central.

The state government has also sought a Bharath Theertha train connecting Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai-Velankanni, Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru Intercity Express and  Kanyakumari-Goa tourist train.  It has decided to seek  the extension of trains terminating at Pollachi to Palakkad, Byndoor –Kasargod passenger train to Guruvayur and Yashwanthpur – Hassan –Kannur train to Kozhikode.

All-Kerala Railway Users’ Association president K. J. Paul Manvettom told Deccan Chronicle that the state should have given priority to  starting a daily train from Thiruvananthapuram to Guwahati. 

At present two pairs of trains operate between the destinations. This is  because around 800 passengers  occupy  each general coach of these trains.  Some  130 passengers  on the waiting list travel  on the floors of the second sleeper coaches of each service, Mr Manvattom said. The daily train should have 24 coaches with only two  two-tier AC coaches. The rest should be general compartments and second sleeper coaches,  he  said.

The government had  sought funds of Rs 602 crore during the pre-railway budget meeting for railway development activities in the state. All-Kerala Railway Passengers' Association general-secretary Mathew Paul told DC that usually Rs 200-350 crore  is   allocated to the state annually in the railway budget.

This is grossly insufficient.  Last year, the railway ministry had allocated Rs 550 crore for the state. The railways had an expenditure budget of Rs 1.55 crore. Population-wise, the state has three percent of the country’s population and is  entitled to Rs 4,500 crore.  Area-wise it has 1.1 percent of the population and is  entitled to Rs 1,700 crore, Mr Paul said.

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu, during the pre-railway budget meeting held in December 2015, had made it clear that the demand for a peninsular railway zone could not be entertained.

However, the centre had promised to look into the other demands, including  the coach factory at Kanjikode in Palakkad which was announced in the railway budget in 2008-09. The  government has  already transferred 239 acres of land to the railways by receiving '33.70 crore as its price.

The coach factory was announced along with a rail wheel plant at Chhapra, rail coach factory at Rae Bareli, and a diesel component factory at Dankuni. All except Kanjikode have become realities.

The state now has the advantage of forming  a joint venture company with 51 per cent stake of the state government and 49 per cent stake of the railways. The company will be fully owned by the government  and it will primarily identify projects and possible financing avenues in addition to union government and the state government.

This will give financial leverage to the company to exploit the commercial potential of the land. Earlier, the ownership of the land vested with railways. After the finances for a project are tied up, the project specific special purpose vehicles (SPV) will be formed.

These SPVs can have other stakeholders from industries, central PSUs and state PSU. However, the joint venture company will have a mandatory stake of a minimum 26 per cent shares in the SPVs.

The ownership of the land acquired for rail development will vest with the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed with state government and the railway ministry.

The state government has decided to take up on a priority basis Thiruvananthapuram-Chengannur suburban service and the Nilambur-Nanjengode service for the SPV.   It has  accorded ‘in-principle’ sanction for the introduction of suburban services in Thiruvananthapuram-Chengannur/ Harippad sector in phase-I by installing automatic signalling for running air-conditioned MEMU/EMU rakes on this corridor.