Rail ministry to decide on Harbour Terminus revival

Kochi: Construction of the railway bridge - parallel to the existing one at Venduruthy - is almost over, but revival of the Cochin Harbour Terminus station will have to wait till the railway ministry gives its clearance. “The bridge, meant for passenger train movement between Harbour Terminus station and South station, will be declared ready for operation after the railway safety wing certifies it,” railway area manager (Ernakulam) P L Ashok Kumar told TOI. Tracks will be laid on the bridge after the state agency, constructing it, hands it over to the railways formally. However, the decision to start passenger services to Harbour Terminus has to be taken atthe rail ministry level itself, he said, adding that goods trains are using the old Venduruthy Bridge. There has been no passenger servicethroughtheHarbour Terminus for over a decade after a dredger hit the Venduruthy Bridge in 2004. Only one or two passenger trains used to halt at the station. But, the station, which became operational in 1943, was once the hub of state’s economic activities.Tea,coffee, coir, cotton and other export consignments came here by wagons from different locations in the state to be sent to distant destinations from the adjacent Cochin harbour. Revival of Harbour station would help de-congest the South station. “We can then move some passenger trains there for stabling. At present, these trains occupy the tracks at the South station for long hours. Once the ministry clears the proposal, we will spruce up the Harbour Terminus,” Ashok Kumar said. One of the constraints in operationalizing the Harbour Terminus station fully is that the Indian Navy may not give sanction to railways to electrify the line. Navy has been objecting it because the line between South railway station and Harbour Terminus passes through the approach path of the aircraft that use the defence airport. Railways will have to use diesel engines, till the defence ministry gives its clearance. Ashok Kumar also disclosed that work on the track doubling between Ernakulam North station and Thammanam ‘C’ cabin area on the Kottayam route was likely to begin next month. This will remove a major bottleneck on the Kottayam route, he said. (T. Ramavarman, Times of India dt 22-9-2012)