Kochi: In response to persistent passenger complaints about steep climbs when boarding modern trains like Vande Bharat Express, Southern Railway has initiated measures to upgrade platforms across 10 stations in the division, including Ernakulam Junction. The Thiruvananthapuram division has floated e-tenders for infrastructure upgrades worth over Rs 1.74 crore.
Background of the Issue
Times of India had earlier highlighted how the lack of platform height undermines the premium travel experience promised by modern rail services in a report published on May 6. Passengers have long struggled with lower platform levels, creating a steep physical barrier for senior citizens, passengers with disabilities, and those carrying heavy luggage. Since premium trains halt only for a few minutes, the height mismatch turns boarding and alighting into a frantic, stressful rush.
Stations Covered
Ernakulam Junction (South), one of the busiest transit hubs in the state, is the focal point of development. While Platform 1 currently sits at a standard height, other platforms have lower levels. The work includes increasing the height and expansion of platforms at Ernakulam Junction and six nearby stations: Ettumanoor, Mulanthuruthy, Kaduthuruthy, Kanjiramattam, Chottanikkara Road, and Kumaranelloor. A separate project worth Rs 36.7 lakh will fund identical platform-raising works at Eravipuram, Tovala, and Melapalayam stations.
Addressing Capacity Bottlenecks
In addition to height corrections, Southern Railway is addressing a severe capacity bottleneck at Ernakulam South. Currently, only two platforms at the station are long enough to handle standard 24-coach trains. A project worth Rs 9.5 lakh was issued to lengthen Platform 2 and shift the existing star siding (a sidetrack used for parking trains). This expansion will allow the station to handle high-capacity 24-car Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) and Integral Coach Factory (ICF) trains, drastically improving traffic flow and reducing delays.
Phased Execution
“The work will be executed in phases to minimise disruption. As fixing platforms requires shutting down active tracks, executing all upgrades simultaneously would cause massive train delays and cancellations. Instead, engineers will tackle Platforms 2 and 3 at Ernakulam first before moving systematically across the remaining sections,” a senior railway official added.
Future Plans
Meanwhile, the railways is set to develop the 110-acre Ernakulam marshalling yard, aiming to transform the underutilised asset into a full-fledged coaching terminal. This will result in increased rail traffic through the Ernakulam region.
