Title - Bansal allots four new trains to state

Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday allotted four new trains for the state, including two express trains, during his reply to the two-day debate on the railway budget.These include a New Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram weekly express, a Bangalore-Palakkad-Mangalore bi-weekly express, an Ernakulam-Kollam Memu service via Kottayam and an Ernakulam-Kollam Memu service via Alappuzha,The minister also announced the extension of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Jan Shadabdi Express till Kannur and the Kozhikode-Shoranur passenger till Thrissur. Besides, the Kochuveli-Lokmanya Tilak weekly express will run twice a week.Bansal included Vadakancherry, Thrissur and Guruvayur stations among Adarsh stations. The budget, presented last month, had included four stations - Chingavanam, Kollam, Kozhikode and Tripunithura - in the list.The minister announced that the Palakkad coach factory would be completed in a time-bound manner. The much-awaited Sabari line also found mention in his speech when he said the project would be made a reality. He also announced that six stations in the state will be modernised.

However, the minister has not accepted any major demand put forward by a delegation of ministers and officials to Delhi last week. They included formation of a peninsular zone, commencement of work for the Alappuzha wagon factory, improving Memu services, doubling of tracks and upgrading Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode stations to international standards.