Title - Plea to submit list of State’s railway needs

Railway users have urged Aryadan Mohammed, Minister-in-charge of Railways in the State, to submit a list of demands for railway development projects for Kerala, so that it could be placed before the Union Railway Minister sufficiently early for him to make necessary provisions in the forthcoming Railway Budget.Mr. Mohammed was also asked to convene meetings of MPs to finalise the list of demands. The Confederation of All India Rail Users Associations, which had raised the demand, also submitted a memorandum, listing urgently-needed railway development projects in Kerala.These included a third railway line exclusively for goods traffic in view of the recent tragedy when a gas-laden tanker lorry exploded in Kannur, recruitment to strengthen railway protection force to tone up security in trains, pit lane in Shoranur or Kozhikode stations, the promised coach factory in Kanjikode, wagon unit in Chertalai, coaching yard at Nemam and development of railway stations in Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Thiruvanathapuram to world standards.

New trains
New trains to Bengaluru through Shoranur and provision for clean water in trains were also on the list prepared by the rail users association.

Mr. Mohammed informed the confederation representatives that a meeting of MPs to finalise State’s requirement of railway facilities would be convened soon.