Janshatabdi through Kottayam sought

The Railway Ministry must come up with an action plan and time frame to complete the much delayed rail-doubling and electrification works in the Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram sector and the introduction of new trains in high-passenger-density corridors, the State Committee of the Railway Passengers’ Association has demanded. Passengers have for long been demanding that a pairing train to the Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Janshatabdi Express ply in the morning from Kozhikode to the State capital, through Kottayam. This would benefit passengers who now pack themselves into crowded trains that ply to and from Thiruvananthapuram. The Railways must also introduce a modern signalling system in Kerala, to speed up trains and prevent delays, said U. V. Dinesh Mani, general secretary. Expressing concern at railway development in the State stagnating for many years, he said that Kerala urgently needs more passenger and suburban trains, since roads are getting choked like never before. The State Government must hand over land so that doubling works can be speeded up.