Title - Work on coach factory will begin soon: Minister

Feasibility survey of Thalassery-Mysore line to be taken up**********
Union Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa has said that a survey will be undertaken to study the feasibility of the proposed Thalassery-Mysore railway line project.He was speaking to media persons at the PWD Rest House here on Sunday.The Minister said that while an earlier survey had estimated a route length of more than 200 km, a recent study by another organisation had come up with an estimate of 140 km. This along with the other technical issues such as construction of tunnels and acquisition of forest land would be considered to reach at a viable solution, he said.

The Minister said that 230 acres of land had been acquired for the Coach Factory in Palakkad for which further work would begin soon.

For focussed work on the Kerala region, an Additional Chief Administrative Officer, functioning from Ernakulam, had been appointed exclusively for the State, he said.

On the Angamaly-Sabarimala railway line, Mr. Muniyappa said that the project had been sanctioned while issues related to land prices were proving to be a stumbling block. The State government would be consulted for further action in the project, he added.

Responding to queries about providing stops to more trains at Thalassery, Mr. Muniyappa said providing stops to the Marusagar Express from Ajmer to Ernakulam and the Hapa Express from Tirunelveli to Hapa at Thalassery was under consideration.

The Minister, after visiting the railway station later, said that various shortcomings of the A-class railway station here would be looked into and resolved within six months. This included proper asphalting of approach roads, extension of platform roofs, lighting up of platforms and surrounding areas, and so on by utilising the already sanctioned amount of Rs.1.65 crore. Site had been identified for a food plaza.

The working time of the two reservation counters at the railway station would be synchronised and set from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in September itself, the Minister said.

Additional Divisional Railway Manager Mohan Menon was present.