The renovation of Harbour Terminus (HT) and Old Railway Station (ORS), located behind the High Court, are the eighth and ninth respectively on the priority list of projects to be jointly undertaken by the State and Central governments, Old Railway Station Vikasana Samithi has said.
This implies that the two long-pending projects will be undertaken shortly once the obstacles are removed, Samithi general convenor Harihara Kumar told The Hindu . Though the Railways have stacked rails and other equipment to commence the renovation of ORS, work has been lagging owing to the Kochi Corporation’s delay in rehabilitating almost two dozen encroacher families who have built houses on the 40-acre premises.
The recent demand by some people’s representatives for the construction of a second overbridge at Pachalam before renovating the ORS too contributed to the delay. The station has been conceived as a terminal for short-distance trains. Electrification of the 2-km track from the main line will see electric trains operating to the station.
A renovated HT will see select long and short-distance trains terminate at the station, decongesting Ernakulam Junction. Operating electric locomotives to the station has been ruled out since the Navy has objected to the installation of overhead electric lines in the vicinity of the naval airport.
