High-level delegation led by Lalu to visit Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 26 (UNI) A high-level delegation led by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad will arrive here on December 30 on a two-day visit and hold discussions with Ministers, MPs and railway officials for development of railways in the state.

The Railway Minister would also commission the electrified Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram section. He would also lay the foundation stone for the second phase of development of the Kochuveli railway terminal, State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Vijayakumar, said today.

Union Minister of State for Railways R Velu, three Railway Board members, including the Financial Commissioner R Sivadasan, Ramesh Chandra, Southern Railway General Manager Thomas Varghese would be part of the delegation, among others, he said.

The Railway Minister would also declare the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station as an international Railway terminal.

Thiruvananthapuram central station is among the 15 stations recognised as international terminals and Rs 100 crore had been sanctioned for it, he added.

Mr Vijayakumar said the Railway Minister would be told about the need for development of Railways in the state. ''We would focus on total doubling and total electrification of railway lines in the state. The need for new railway lines like Thalassery-Mysore and Sabari Railway would be discussed, '' he said and added the state would also press for new additional trains, especially one to Bangalore.

Railway-based industries would also be discussed with the Union Minister and his team, which included a Coach repairing centre. A Project report for suburban railways in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode and an EMU car shed would also be presented to the Union Minister.

''The discussions would be based on long term perspectives,'' he said.

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