Title - Rly told to defer closing depot

The railways have been pers-uaded to reconsider their move to close down the mechanical depot at Alapp-uzha as part of cost-cutting measures, according to Union minister of state for power, K.C. Venugopal.The closure of the depot would have further wate-red down the state’s claim for a separate railway zone, but now the move appears to have been dropped.“The railways decided to drop the idea on my persuasion. They have promi-sed to review their plans,” said Venugopal, speaking to the DC.The railways had planned to extend the Dhanbad-Alapuzha and the Chennai-Aleppey Express trains to Kochuveli from October following the closure of the depot, which has a staff of 48 in addition to 20 electrical workers.“The idea was to redeploy them to other depots with vacancies and cut down operational costs,” explained a senior railway officer.“It was decided to close down the depot as it caters to just three trains. Of them only the Dhanbad-Alapuzha Express tests for a Brake Power Certificate at the depot, while the Chennai and Kannur Expresses undergo the test at their destination points,” he added.