₹473-crore project to upgrade Kozhikode railway station

A ₹473-crore project to upgrade the Kozhikode railway station to global standards will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through an online event in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

A ₹473-crore project to upgrade the Kozhikode railway station to global standards will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through an online event in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

M.K. Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, told the media on Sunday that this was part of the second phase of the development project conceived during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance government.

A detailed project report had been prepared by KITCO, the State government’s technical consultancy organisation.

The number of railway tracks would be increased from five to nine. Instead of the existing two five-metre wide foot overbridges, two new 12-metre wide foot overbridges would come up on the southern and northern side of the station. They would have seating arrangements too. The terminals on the eastern and western sides would be linked to have a 48-metre-wide concourse in the middle. The concourse would have facilities such as a business lounge. Multi-level parking would be provided on both sides and sky walks would be built from the foot overbridges and the concourse to reach this area. Multi-storeyed staff quarters would be built for railway employees after demolishing the old buildings. A commercial centre would come up on 4.2 acres on the western side of the station. Similar facilities would come up on the north-eastern side and south-eastern side as well. The project report also has a ground parking facility and a centre to link the terminal at the proposed light metro station with the railway station. Entry would be provided from Francis Road to the western side of the station.

Mr. Raghavan, meanwhile, alleged that some people with vested interests had tried to sabotage the project by staging strikes against it. He said that only Chennai and Kozhikode had figured in the list of 23 railway stations to be upgraded to international standards under Southern Railway in the first phase of a project to develop 400 stations across the country.