Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has submitted a feasibility report to Southern Railway for the redevelopment of the marshalling yard at Ponnuruni to construct an international standard coaching terminal complex.
The underutilised land in Ponnurunni, at the heart of the city, will have the capacity to host trains, apart from having space for repair and maintenance of trains. The new terminal would become a new halt station for trains through Kottayam and will also be a terminal point for new trains that are allotted to the State.
The proposed terminal will also ease the long-standing traffic congestion in Kochi and accelerate the development of the railways in the State.
KRDCL said the project is technically feasible and financially viable and recommended for implementation to have higher mobility, meet the traffic growth, and economic development of the State. The project can be completed over three years.
The report suggests a station complex with 4 platforms, 1 pit line, 2 parcel lines, 2 stabling lines, wagon examination line in addition to retaining the existing coaching depot. The expected total investment through the project is Rs1654 crore including the development of the railway infrastructure for Rs325 crore. The plan is in such a way that the number of passenger platforms can be increased depending on the increasing traffic demand in the future.
The existing facilities at Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town railways stations are inadequate. Therefore, the study says, this proposed integrated coaching terminal will help to meet the growing traffic needs.
The new terminal would make the rail traffic in central Kerala easier and is also expected to meet the demands of the region in the next 30 years.