Electrification to be completed by April 30

KOCHI: The electrification of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari stretch will be commissioned before April 30, Railway Board Member Kulbhooshan has said. He was speaking during a visit to Ernakulam on Sunday, where he was accompanied by the Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager. The electrification work on the 85-kilometre stretch, which was supposed to be commissioned two years ago, is now due to be completed within 15 days. “We are expecting to finish the work within the estimated time,” Kulbhooshan said.The route is expected to become highly significant for the state in the coming days, especially with the opening of the upcoming Vizhinjam International Container Terminal at Thiruvananthapuram. It will also be a relief for passengers as the frequency and the number of electric trains on the route can go up. Meanwhile, Kulbhooshan added that the MEMU trains on the Ernakulam-Thrissur stretch, promised in this year’s railway budget, will be functional by the end of the year.