Rs1,206 crore for railways, nod for Guruvayur-Thirunavaya line

Kochi: The state-wise railway projects included in the Union budget for the financial year 2016-17 include the 35-km Guruvayur-Thirunavaya railway line and survey for a new railway line connecting Thalassery with Mysore (300 kms). The foundation for the Guruvayur-Thirunavaya rail link was laid in 1995. However, nothing substantive took place for the realization of the project, estimated to cost Rs 450 crore. The new link will reduce travel distance by over 60 Kms, especially from the Malabar region towards Kochi, Trivandrum.

It also provides a direct link to the temple town of Guruvayur and touch Ponnani. “The line will be constructed in a joint venture mode with the state government. Further it has been approved to construct 21 ROBs (Railway Over Bridge) and subways at a cost of Rs 297 crore,” a statement by the railways explaining the budget allocations, said.

Soon after the Union budget was presented, it was informed that the state was allocated a whopping Rs 1206 crore, its highest in terms of budget allocations over the years, for the financial year 2017-18. However, the details were not released then. “The total outlay for passenger amenities for the state is Rs 25 crore as against Rs 20 crore during 2016-17, an increase of 25 percentage. A further Rs 13.5 crore has been allotted for traffic facility works like track maintenance,” it said.