Trivandrum Central
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Trivandrum Central is the biggest railway station in the state of Kerala and one of the important rail hubs in South India.[1] Trains from here connect the city of Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum) to other states of India. The building of the railway station is one of the landmarks of Trivandrum. The Trivandrum Central station was built by the Maharajah of Travancore and inaugurated on 4 November 1931.[2] This is one of the most beautiful station buildings in South India. No bricks were used for the construction of this station building; it was built completely with rock masonry.[3] A second terminal was opened in 2004 to handle passenger traffic. This station is completely Wi-Fi enabled.[citation needed]
This station is also noted for a whole range of amenities available within the premises. The station has book-shops, restaurants, accommodation, Internet browsing centers and even an essential commodities shopping mall. A second satellite station was opened in 2005 at Kochuveli, near the International Airport. Thiruvananthapuram is the first major city from south along the second longest train route in the world, Kanyakumari to Jammu.
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[edit] Layout
This station has 8 platforms to handle long distance trains and short distance trains. There is a second terminal on the other side of the main entrance. The train care centre functions adjacent to this second terminal.
[edit] Facilities
The station handles over 2 lakhs passengers daily.[4] Several facilities such as restaurants, book stalls, rooms for daily rent, rest rooms, etc are provided to serve this high volume of passengers. An air-conditioned dormitory, improved and extended parking and new pedestrian entry were the new facilities opened. The total available parking area comes around 5,500 sq m. An additional 400 sq m covered area has been added to this.[5]
Trivandrum Central is well equipped with modern security gadgets, and is the first station in the state to install video surveillance. The Networked electronic surveillance system is installed in this Central Station by Railway Protection Force (RPF) for improving the security and for monitoring the movement of passengers arriving at the station.[6]
[edit] Future Expansion Plans
Decission has been taken by the Indian Railways to convert the Trivandrum Central railway station into world-class standards. The foundation stone for the expansion and modernisation of the station was laid by the Union Minister for Railways, Lalu Prasad in December,2006. Tenders has been invited for carrying out feasibility studies for this proposed project. More than Rs.100 crores is needed for the first phase of this project.[7]
A new complex of the railway station will be built with a built-up area of 10-lakh square feet. All modern facilities including an office and commercial complex is planned here. The proposal to set up a suburban terminal at Nemom or Putharikandam maidan is also in the pipeline. It is estimated that only a consortium would be able to take up the expansion project of Trivandrum Central, since the project is a massive one.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/07/stories/2007030712450500.htm Largest Railway Station in Kerala
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/05/stories/2006110501550200.htm Central station completes 75 years
- ^ http://www.irfca.org/articles/jimmyjose-20051128-quilon.html Quilon - Trivandrum Central Metre Gauge Line
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/01/15/stories/2007011501450200.htm More passenger facilities
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/01/15/stories/2007011501450200.htm More facilities at Thiruvananthapuram Central
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/24/stories/2006082423560300.htm Video surveillance system at Central
- ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/11/08/stories/2006110811100100.htm Rs.100 crores for modernization
- ^ http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/07/stories/2007030712450500.htm Thiruvananthapuram Central to be made a world-class station
[edit] External links
