THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A notification has been issued for the renaming of Nemom and Kochuveli railway stations, which are adjacent to Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. Under the new order, Nemom will be renamed Thiruvananthapuram South and Kochuveli will become Thiruvananthapuram North. This change will officially take effect once the Railway Board's order is finalized. The Central Government approved the state government's request for the renaming and the Railway Board is expected to issue the formal order soon.
In response to the announcement, MP Shashi Tharoor stated that this development could open new avenues for railway advancement in Thiruvananthapuram. He expressed gratitude to Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav, the state government and railway authorities for their efforts in achieving this milestone.
Additionally, this year’s allocation for the doubling of the Kanyakumari-Thiruvananthapuram rail line has reached Rs 940 crore, marking a record allocation for Kerala. The project involves a 30 km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Parassala, with the remainder of the line extending into Tamil Nadu.
The Railway Department has also awarded various contracts related to the construction of the second track. The ongoing development includes the construction of the Thiruvananthapuram South (Nemom) Terminal. The land acquisition process from South to Parassala is expected to be completed by early next month. The Railway Board views the doubling of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari line as a significant project benefiting both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The railway aims to complete the construction and commissioning of the second track from Thiruvananthapuram to Nemom and the Nemom terminal by March 2026. The upgrades at Nemom will include four platforms, two pit lines for train maintenance and four stabling lines for train storage. Future plans may involve increasing the number of platforms. As part of the line doubling project, 13 bridges are also slated for reconstruction.