Southern Railway has agreed to construct a three-metre wide tarred pucca road along Vattavila Suresh Road in Thiruvananthapuram after protests by local residents and representations by the Nemom Action Council. The decision follows the takeover of part of the public road for line-doubling works near Nemom railway station. Railway officials told a land acquisition hearing that the road will be built on land under railway custody and may be handed to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for maintenance subject to formal procedures. Kerala government had earlier transferred the affected land to the railways and received an advance of more than Rs 11.5 million (mn) for the transfer. Around 10 cents of the public road came under railway control without an alternative access route, creating daily travel difficulties for several families in the neighbourhood. Residents reported disruptions to regular movement and said the absence of an alternative had increased inconvenience for essential journeys and services. Residents and the Nemom Action Council filed petitions with the chief minister and the land revenue commissioner seeking restoration of connectivity. A hearing chaired by the district deputy collector for Land Acquisition was attended by railway officials, representatives of the special tahsildar's office and members of the action council, and the railways agreed to construct the three-metre road. Officials said the corporation will need to submit a formal request to obtain the land on lease if it is to take up long term maintenance. The episode underlines the need for better coordination between railway authorities and local bodies when public access routes are affected by infrastructure projects. Revenue authorities maintained that procedural norms had been followed during the takeover even as residents continued to question the timing of measures to provide alternative access. The agreed construction is expected to provide immediate relief while clarity on execution timelines and administrative formalities is awaited.