Although development is the main slogan of the government, the situation in Kerala is so bad that the government is not able to take development projects an inch forward. Whether it is railway development or road development, the story remains the same. When the possibilities of development of the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station came to a standstill, plans were made to add facilities to the Kochuveli and Nemom railway stations. Although new platforms and station development were done on a small scale at Kochuveli station, the progress was not as expected. Many more facilities need to be there. The misery faced by passengers is yet to be resolved as there are very poor transport facilities towards this station, which is away from the city. The plan to expand the current station in Nemom and convert it into a coaching terminal came up as a solution to the shortage of space at the central station. It was included in the railway budgets several times. Even the foundation stone was laid. However, the project ended there. The latest we heard was that the Nemom development project will be abandoned.

Railways already own a good portion of the land required for the development of the station. Some more land will be required to develop it as a coaching terminal. The Railways is of the stand that it will take up the railway development project in the state only if the state acquires the land and hands it over. However, the news that the Nemom Coaching Terminal project is being revived is hopeful. A new project has been prepared and is awaiting approval. If the state government shows enthusiasm, the project will be implemented soon. It should immediately take necessary action to acquire additional land required for the coaching terminal. The state should expedite all necessary steps including this. A fully equipped coaching terminal is being intended in Nemom. The first thing that is needed to make it a reality is the land itself.

Works are going on at several major stations in connection with the development of railways in the state. Rail strengthening work is also going on. Once these works are completed, the speed of the existing trains can be increased. The new Vande Bharat can be prolonged as well. It is reassuring to note that the construction work related to the ongoing National Highway Development Project is progressing without any major hiccups. However, there is concern over the fact that new road construction projects to be started in the state are confined to paper. The construction of the much anticipated Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road is heading towards a standstill due to the service road problem. The report that the Highway Authority has withdrawn tenders related to the construction of two reaches due to dispute is worrisome. It had been assured that the government would intervene and find a solution immediately in case of disputes related to the road project. If the dispute related to the service road gets delayed, the construction of the outer ring road will be uncertain. Authorities should take special care to ensure that such a situation does not occur.