“Neglect Of Kayamkulam Railway Junction”: Action Council Submits 19 Demands
Kayamkulam, Kerala: The Kayamkulam Railway Action Council is campaigning for an end to what it describes as the “neglect” of Kayamkulam Railway Junction, the largest station in the Alappuzha district. Upgraded to a junction three decades ago, the station serves as a crucial hub for passengers travelling through the Malanad, Edanad, and coastal regions of Kerala. All trains on the Kayamkulam-Alappuzha-Ernakulam coastal route and the Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam hill route pass through the junction, handling approximately 25,000 passengers daily.
Despite its importance, the Action Council claims the station is being overlooked by the Railway Ministry. A key grievance is the lack of stops for 12 superfast trains, including the prestigious Vande Bharat and Rajdhani Expresses. This forces passengers making long journeys to travel to other stations, causing significant inconvenience.
Kayamkulam Railway action council holding a press conference
The council also highlighted a unique issue at the junction. Trains approaching Kayamkulam from Ochira at 100 km/h are forced to reduce their speed to just 15 km/h as they enter platforms one or three. A similar speed reduction occurs for trains arriving from Mavelikara and heading towards Ochira, as well as for trains going to Cheppad and Mavelikara. The Action Council argues that a two-minute stop for these through trains would not significantly impact their schedules and would greatly benefit passengers.
The Action Council has submitted a petition to Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal, outlining 19 demands for the junction’s development, including stops for all superfast trains. They have announced plans to organise protests with the support of the public and rail users. Speaking at a press conference, Action Council representatives including Adv U Muhammed, PR Nag, M Gopinathan, CH Shukkur, Madhu Kattachira, B Dileepan, Adv O Haris, Adv Prameela Baburaj, Adv Arathi A Kumar, and Sunil P Daniel, emphasised their commitment to fighting for improvements at the station.
