+
Southern Railway To Build Three-Metre Road At Vattavila
ECONOMY & POLICY

Southern Railway To Build Three-Metre Road At Vattavila

Southern Railway has agreed to construct a three-metre wide tarred pucca road at Vattavila in Thiruvananthapuram after protests by residents and the Nemom Action Council. The takeover of a portion of Vattavila Suresh Road for railway line-doubling near Nemom led the Kerala government to transfer land after receiving an advance of Rs 11.5 million from the railways. Around 10 cents of public road came under railway control without an arranged alternative, causing daily travel difficulties for several families. Residents said the loss of access disrupted routine movement and prompted sustained objections.

Petitions were submitted to the chief minister and the land revenue commissioner seeking restoration of connectivity. At a land acquisition hearing chaired by the district deputy collector for Land Acquisition railway officials agreed to build the road on railway land and to hand it over to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for maintenance. The railways did not commit to long term upkeep and described the step as immediate relief pending formal procedures.

Officials from the special tahsildar's office attended the hearing alongside railway representatives and members of the action council. Revenue authorities had maintained there was no procedural lapse in the takeover even as residents questioned the absence of an alternative road at acquisition. The corporation will need to submit a formal request to obtain the land on lease from the railways if it is to assume long term maintenance.

The Nemom line-doubling project forms part of broader efforts to strengthen railway infrastructure in the region but the Vattavila episode underlines the need for better coordination when public access routes are affected. The sequencing of construction, land transfer and municipal acceptance will determine whether the arrangement restores durable access. The decision to build the road is expected to ease daily travel for residents while administrative steps for handover are completed.

Southern Railway has agreed to construct a three-metre wide tarred pucca road at Vattavila in Thiruvananthapuram after protests by residents and the Nemom Action Council. The takeover of a portion of Vattavila Suresh Road for railway line-doubling near Nemom led the Kerala government to transfer land after receiving an advance of Rs 11.5 million from the railways. Around 10 cents of public road came under railway control without an arranged alternative, causing daily travel difficulties for several families. Residents said the loss of access disrupted routine movement and prompted sustained objections. Petitions were submitted to the chief minister and the land revenue commissioner seeking restoration of connectivity. At a land acquisition hearing chaired by the district deputy collector for Land Acquisition railway officials agreed to build the road on railway land and to hand it over to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for maintenance. The railways did not commit to long term upkeep and described the step as immediate relief pending formal procedures. Officials from the special tahsildar's office attended the hearing alongside railway representatives and members of the action council. Revenue authorities had maintained there was no procedural lapse in the takeover even as residents questioned the absence of an alternative road at acquisition. The corporation will need to submit a formal request to obtain the land on lease from the railways if it is to assume long term maintenance. The Nemom line-doubling project forms part of broader efforts to strengthen railway infrastructure in the region but the Vattavila episode underlines the need for better coordination when public access routes are affected. The sequencing of construction, land transfer and municipal acceptance will determine whether the arrangement restores durable access. The decision to build the road is expected to ease daily travel for residents while administrative steps for handover are completed.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train’s Surat-Vapi Section Set for 2027

The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, linking Surat and Vapi, is targeted to begin services in 2027. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that an inauguration could take place around the middle of 2027. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) said the train being manufactured in India is expected to reach the tracks around April or May 2027. The train will undergo extensive testing before the section is opened for passenger services. The project began construction in 2021 and includ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Indian Railways Approves Four Projects Worth Rs. 7.36 bn Across Four States

Indian Railways has approved four projects with a combined value of Rs. 7.36 bn across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The programme covers train protection, signalling, electric traction supply and a road overbridge, with each project assigned to a different railway zone. In Uttar Pradesh, Rs. 2.52 bn has been approved to extend the Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system across 607.7 km in the Lucknow Division of North Eastern Railway. The system monitors train movements and can apply the brakes if a driver fails to observe a signal or exceeds a safe speed. The w..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Chandru Raheja Sells 1.49% Stake in Mindspace REIT for Rs. 5 bn

Billionaire Chandru Lachmandas Raheja has sold a 1.49 per cent holding in Mindspace Business Parks REIT for Rs. 5 bn through a bulk deal on the BSE. The transaction involved 9.9 mn units and was executed at an average price of Rs. 505 per unit, according to exchange data. Following the sale, units of Mindspace Business Parks REIT were trading 0.18 per cent lower at Rs. 504.05 on Tuesday. Exchange data did not identify the buyers involved in the transaction. Raheja is the chairman of real estate company K Raheja Corp. The sale involved 99,00,990 units, representing 1.49 per cent of the Mumbai-b..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code