Title - Rail line doubling work to be completed soon

KOCHI :
If all goes well, the work on the Piravom-Mulanthuruthy double line is expected to be completed this fiscal.Railway officials said that if no hindrances take place, the line can be expected to be commissioned by April next year. The work on this sector, which has been delayed for months, has picked up speed owing to administrative pressure. The officials with the construction department of the Railways said that they expect to complete the first phase of the project by December.  The first phase includes the completion of two railway lines from Piravom connecting  Mulanthuruthy. Also, the work on the Piravom station and the yard premises will be completed by December. In the second phase, the existing railway line will be raised by  six feet. “ A lot of technical procedures are involved in the lifting of the railway line. Also, it should be done in such a way that it does not affect the rail traffic. Once it is completed, we will focus on connecting the mid-section of the line between Piravom and Mulanthuruthy,” the official said. The `50- crore project covers 12-km stretch. Once the lines are ready, the signalling procedures will be carried out which may also take some time, officials added. Finding earth for the doubling process is also a problem, they said.

Currently, the work on the Piravom railway station platforms has begun.

Even as the work is progressing, passengers have raised concern that the Railways is creating a lot of hassles for the public owing to the work at Piravom railway station. They alleged that the trains in the section are getting delayed owing to the work.