The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala on Sunday urged the Union Railway Ministry to extend the route of the proposed Vande Bharat Express in the state up to Mangalore station in Karnataka, so that the people of Kasaragod, the northernmost district of Kerala, can also benefit from it. In a letter to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly VD Satheesan has sought route expansion to ensure “overall high-speed railway connectivity in the state”.
Satheesan said that according to media reports, the existing route of the proposed Vande Bharat Express was from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur bypassing the northernmost district of Kasaragod.
“Please note that Kasaragod is part of the existing railway system in the state and could have been seamlessly included in the existing route of the Vande Bharat Express without any pain. Leaving out the northern district of Kasaragod would be considered a gross injustice to the people there.” Is.” Kasaragod,” the LOP said.
Satheesan also pointed out that Kasaragod was a district in Kerala with limited railway reach and a lot needed to be done to bring it at par with other districts in the state.
“The extension of Vande Bharat Express up to Mangalore station will improve the overall connectivity between the southern and northern regions of the state and will be of great help to the people of Kasaragod,” he said.
As the state has several curves in the tracks, which would prevent the Vande Bharat Express from running at its maximum speed, he urged the Union Railway Minister to pressurize the authorities to take necessary steps to fix the “high-impact curves”. Insert