RailEnquiry

Kochi: The Southern Railways is in talks with the Kerala government for construction of 100 Railway Over Bridges (ROB)s, a top official said here Friday.

"The state government has to give sanction for the 100 ROBs and we have been repeatedly taking up the matter with the government," Thiruvananthapuram divisional Managaer, Rajesh Agrawal told reporters here. The Railway ministry has agreed to meet 50 per cent of the cost, he said.

The Thiruvananthapuram division proposes to compelely man the remaining 50 unmanned level crossings before this year end. There are about 400 unmanned crossings in the division.

The Railways was also taking up with the state government the rail overbridge and under bridges issue. Over 30 subways has been proposed in the division, he said. Work for upgradation of the Thiruvananthapuram station as world class station will begin in a year for which Rs 12 crore has been sanctioned. Architecture, ambience and access has to be streamlined, he said.

Talks are also on with Kerala Tourism Development Corporation to open single point facilitation centres for tourists at various stations, starting with Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. These centres would have various facilties.

Bookings to various destinations can be made and tourist lounges and internet facilties would all be available for tourists in such centres, he said.

Railways was also encouraging KTDC to have a coach in every train in which kerala cuisine would be served. A series of trains to Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai have been identified, he said.