Redevelopment of Ernakulam Junction railway station faces fresh delay as new contractor decision put off

KOCHI: Development work at the Ernakulam Junction railway station is likely to be delayed as a decision on appointing a new contractor may be taken only after one-and-a-half month. Work at the Ernakulam Town railway station too seems to be progressing at a slow pace. Sources in the railways said tenders submitted by six firms were opened on September 12. We will be carefully studying each document and conduct a thorough check to verify the credentials of the interested companies, said a Railway official. Work at Ernakulam Junction began in 2022, with an estimated deadline of 2025. The Rs 350-crore project was delayed due to the inefficiency of the contractor, Bridge and Roof Company (India). It was also found the work by contractor was sub-par. Hence, it was decided to terminate the contract and blacklist the firm from undertaking any railway projects, said the official. Owing to the delay passengers are having a tough time navigating the new arrangements. It is a mess. There is no end in sight to a work that we thought would finish in two years. Until last week, approach road to the stations makeshift main entrance was a muddy mess. Though the passengers kept seeking a solution throughout monsoon, the authorities woke up after the rain stopped, said Paul Manvattom, president, All Kerala Railway Users Association (AKRUA). He asked: How can a public sector entity be so careless in awarding such a big contract, and that too in a city as important as Ernakulam, to a company that has no expertise? Paul alleged the progress of work at Ernakulam Town station had slowed down too. As per the proposed plan for Ernakulam Junction, a separate, three-storey building will be built on the eastern side. It will have a passenger booking facility, a hospital and administrative offices. On the western side, a four-storey building will house a ticketing area, waiting lounges and a commercial area with connectivity to all platforms. Ernakulam Junction handles over 1.96 crore passengers annually. The railways expects the upgrade will accommodate the exponential growth in passenger traffic in future. The Ministry of Railways has also selected Ernakulam Town and Kollam stations for major revamping. Re-development of Ernakulam Town station was awarded as an EPC contract to M/s RANK Projects and Development Pvt Ltd, for an amount of Rs 150.28 crore on August 29, 2022. Its deadline is 36 months. Ernakulam Town station handles over 90 scheduled daily train services. Categorised as an NSG-3 station, it registers an annual passenger footfall of 1.02 crore an average daily footfall of 28,000. The Ernakulam Town to Kayankulam railway line passes through Kottayam district with major stations at Kottayam, Tiruvalla, Chengannur and Mavelikkara. Ernakulam Jn rly station First tendered: August 2022 First contractor: Kolkata-based Bridge and Roof Company (India) Project cost: Rs 350 crore Deadline: 36 months Status: Work stopped, new tender floated, decision on new contractor in approximately two months Passenger footfall: Over 1.96 crore annually Ernakulam Town rly station First tendered: August 29, 2022 Contractor: M/s RANK Projects and Development Pvt Ltd Project cost: Rs 150.28 crore Deadline: 36 months Status: Ongoing, work on multi-level parking and west terminal building nearing completion. No status on air concourse, foot overbridge, skywalk connectivity, platform upgradation Passenger footfall: Over 1.02 crore annually