Kerala's Nemom Coaching Terminal: A Scaled-Down Vision

The proposal to establish a coaching terminal at Nemom in Kerala has faced criticism for reduced scope. Debated in the Rajya Sabha, the project aims to decongest Thiruvananthapuram Central but has been scaled back significantly. Despite criticisms, the Railway Minister defended the current plan based on feasibility studies and field requirements.

The Railway Ministry's proposal to establish a coaching terminal in Nemom, Kerala, was debated in the Rajya Sabha. The project, originally intended to decongest Thiruvananthapuram Central, has faced criticism over a significant reduction in size.

CPI(M) MP John Brittas argued that the Ministry's decision to cut the project – originally planned with numerous facilities – compromises its core purpose. He challenged the reduction to just two pit lines and three stabling lines from the initially conceived five pit lines and ten stabling lines.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defended the current scale, citing ground reports and field requirements as the basis for the downsized plan. Vaishnaw emphasized that the project is progressing well, contrasting it with previous administrations' inaction over decades.

(With inputs from agencies.)