Soon: Chengannur to Pamba in train

If there is one pilgrimage site that can draw lakhs of devotees from all over South India, it is undeniably Sabarimala. Lakhs of devotees from states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra will undergo simple pious before heading towards the divine hills every year. It has imbibed into their culture to visit the hills every year. The majority of devotees from these states and even from Kerala reach Pamba by hiring vehicles and vans.

A quarter of a century has passed since Kerala raised the demand for train service through the area. The construction of the Angamali - Erumeli road started with much promise but was stalled indefinitely due to various reasons. The demand for rail lines from Chengannur to Pamba has also been voiced for years but to no avail. And finally, after years of uncertainty and roadblocks, the railway has now given a yes nod to the project. The cost is estimated to be Rs 6,450 crore, but will likely be more at the time of completion. The approval of the central cabinet meeting is also required.

It can be assumed that permission will be given soon as the Center is also considering it as a prestigious project. Last month, Southern Railway approved the DPR and submitted it to the Railway Board. The approval at the next board meeting also indicates pressure from various South Indian states including Kerala to complete the project. This project is also of special interest to Prime Minister Modi.

In every new project, the railway has stipulated that states share the financial responsibility equally. This condition has not been made mandatory by Railways in the case of Pamba project. Kerala has already given the willingness to share the project cost while it is wholly the onus of the state to acquire and hand over the land for the project. The state government should be careful not to delay this.

The revenue department should take the necessary steps to complete this on a war footing. Since it is a project of interest to the Center as well, it can be expected that there will be a favourable response from the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment.

As of now, it is stated that the service will be only during the pilgrimage season. Despite this confirmation, it is an open secret that the notion won’t see success in Kerala. Whenever a new train starts functioning in Kerala, passenger traffic will be exceedingly high. This will eventually see the railway doubling services on this route. So such predetermined conditions are expected to fall flat in the southern state.

There will be five stations namely Aranmula, Vadasserikkara, Seethathode and Pamba on the route. There may be further changes to the station once the line is completed. In another case, railway officials said the Angamali sabari project to be of big advantage if it connects with the Pamba line. This project also deserves to be a reality soon.