Transport in Kochi - Railways

Railways

At present, there is no intra-city rail transport system in Kochi. The inter-city rail transport system in the city is administered by the Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways. There are two main railway stations—the Ernakulam Junction and the Ernakulam Town (locally known as the 'South' and 'North' railway stations respectively). The South Railway Station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily. The Junction Railway station currently has six platforms with two terminal gates. The main terminal located on the western side is the older structure, constructed in 1932. A food plaza and reservation counter are located on the west side. The East terminal is a new structure, constructed by GCDA, as a counter-measure to reduce traffic congestion on the South Rail-Over Bridge, by allowing passengers from the eastern side to access the east gate. However the terminal is not fully open to the public.

The North Railway Station is another station situated in the northern side of the city, mainly catering to long-distance services that bypass the Ernakulam Junction, and also as an additional halt station for many trains. A larger terminal in north has been opened to the public as of 27 November 2010. Cochin Harbour Terminus located in the Willingdon island is the third railway station in the city, though it has been closed down temporarily. Cochin Harbour Terminus is a heritage structure constructed by the British in 1946. Due to the presence of a few cracks on the Venduruthy Railway bridge connecting the mainland with the Willingdon island, the service to this station was temporarily suspended. Work on a new railway line has commenced and the station will be reopened soon. Edapally Railway Station is a smaller halt station for passenger services and a few express trains. The major stations at Aluva and Thripunithura and the halting station at Kalamassery, serves the outskirts of the city and the surrounding metropolitan area.

There is a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus(station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and The Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old majestic railway station. Ernakulam Terminus was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 60's. Now, Southern Railway plans to convert it into a hub for proposed suburban railway system for the city.

A metro rapid transit service, intended to considerably ease congestion, is currently awaiting the sanction of the Central Government.

In addition, the Southern Railway is set to start a suburban railway system in Ernakulam, connecting nearby towns and cities by introducing MEMU services. The first MEMU line is expected to open this year between Ernakulam and Kollam. Other MEMU lines under consideration include Thrissur-Ernakulam and Ernakulam-Kottayam corridors for which work is underway.