Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan has written to the union railway minister, seeking an extension of the proposed Vande Bharat Express train service upto Mangaluru in Karnataka. The move comes after rakes of the semi-high-speed train reached Kerala on April 14.
In a letter to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly V D Satheesan has sought route extension to ensure ‘overall high-speed railway connectivity in the state’. Satheesan said that as per media reports, the existing route of the proposed Vande Bharat Express was from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur, leaving out the northernmost district of Kasaragod.
‘Please note that Kasargod forms part of the existing railway system in the state and could have been seamlessly incorporated into the existing route of the Vande Bharat Express without much pain. Leaving out the northern district of Kasaragod is considered a grave injustice to the people of Kasaragod,’ the LoP said.
Satheesan also pointed out that Kasaragod was a district in Kerala that had limited railway access and much more was needed to be done to bring it up to par with other districts in the state. ‘Extending the Vande Bharat express to Mangalore station will improve overall connectivity between the state’s southern and northernmost regions and be of great help to the people of Kasargod’, he said.
Earlier, when the state government’s proposed flagship Silver Line semi-high-speed rail corridor project was in limelight, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan approached the Karnataka government seeking its support to extend the route up to Mangaluru. However, the discussions did not yield any results. Meanwhile, Satheesan has also urged the union railway minister to ensure overall high-speed railway connectivity in the state by straightening curves in the railway line and improving signalling systems.
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