Tripunithura residents warn of poll boycott over railway station neglect

Kochi: Tripunithura Rajangari Union of Residents' Associations (TRURA), warned that it would consider protest measures, including boycotting elections, if the alleged neglect of Tripunithura railway station by the authorities continues.TRURA on Sunday organised a protest march and dharna, where hundreds of residents including women participated. The residents demanded that more trains be given stops at the station. Speakers said repeated petitions and protests addressed to successive Union railway ministers, ministers of state from Kerala and public representatives failed to yield results. TRURA chairman V P Prasad said Tripunithura ranked 18th in revenue in Thiruvananthapuram railway division, yet only a few trains stopped there. "According to statistics published by the division, the station earned Rs 11.27 crore through counter ticket sales and about Rs 9 crore through online bookings in the 2024–25 financial year, taking the total revenue to over Rs 20 crore. Within the district, the station ranks behind only Ernakulam Junction, Town and Aluva in revenue generation," said Prasad. However, he said when around 50 new stops were allotted in 2026, stations with lower revenue, such as Angamaly, Mavelikara, Edappally and Sasthamkotta, benefited from it, while Tripunithura was ignored. TRURA said its earlier interventions helped secure stops for six trains, including Vanchinad Express, Parasuram Express and Island Express, in 2012 and 2013, but no new stops were sanctioned at the station since 2013. They also pointed out that the stop for Velankanni Express, which existed before Covid-19 pandemic, was not restored when the train resumed regular service. Currently, only about 20 trains halt at Tripunithura, including the Kottayam–Nilambur Express and Korba Express, which runs twice a week. In comparison, Angamaly has around 40 train halts and Mavelikara around 67, despite having lower revenue, they claimed. TRURA also argued that the importance of the station increased significantly after Kochi Metro terminal station was established nearby. Among the demands raised were granting halts in both directions for the Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram Malabar Express and Kanyakumari–Pune Express, introducing stops for long-distance trains such as Kerala Express, Sabari Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Amrita Express and Amrit Bharat Express, extending the Guruvayur–Ernakulam passenger trains to Kottayam, and developing Tripunithura station as a coaching terminal. They also demanded converting the loop line platform into a main line, construction of a third platform, and opening the eastern entrance of the station.