Title - Rail budget brings no cheer to Malabar

North Kerala has no major reasons to feel happy about the Railway Budget, rail-users say.The region, which had been witnessing slow-paced rail development, saw some of its long-time aspirations ignored. The electrification of the Shoranur-Mangalore stretch had been ignored, Kasaragod Railway Passengers Association general secretary P. Prashant said. The demand for a new passenger train between Kannur and Mangalore had also been ignored, he said.There was no political effort to bring the needs of the State to the attention of the Union ministry, he said.Terming the budget an ‘utter disappointment,’ Congress leader P.M. Michael said the decision to desist from increasing the frequency of the bi-weekly Garibrath Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai was deplorable. The proposed Kahangad-Kaniyur rail line that would help reduce travelling time to Bangalore found no mention in the budget, he said. The delay in commissioning the six-km Karakad-Shoranur line despite commencement of track-doubling works on the 307-km Shoranur-Mangalore stretch was causing much hardships to the public, Mr. Prashant said.

Report from Kannur:The North Kerala Railway Road Development Forum (NKRRDF) has welcomed the Railway Minister’s decision not to increase the railway fare and enhance facilities for passengers. The forum secretary P.K. Premarajan said though the Railway budget was disappointing, the forum welcomed the decision not to hike the fare and the proposal to ensure safety of women passengers.

The forum said that the Railway Budget had not tried to appease or ignore any State.