Thiruvananthapuram: The long-awaited dream of a railway station near Nedumbassery International Airport is finally moving towards realization, with the Railways officially inviting tenders for the construction project. The station will be built at an estimated cost of ₹7.56 crore, with the Railway Gati Shakti division calling for bids to be submitted by February 5.
The proposed station will come up close to CIAL’s solar power plant, the nearest point where the railway track passes alongside the airport. Designed to significantly enhance airport connectivity, the project includes a modern station building on the eastern side, two 600-metre-long platforms, a foot overbridge equipped with lifts, and adequate parking facilities. The construction is scheduled to be completed within nine months, and with sufficient railway land already available, land acquisition issues are unlikely.
Once completed, the station is expected to be a major boon for air travellers heading to and from Kochi International Airport. Railway officials have indicated that the station is being planned to accommodate stops for premium trains, including Vande Bharat services, further boosting its importance. Southern Railway General Manager R. N. Singh had earlier reaffirmed this during an on-site inspection.
The demand for an airport-adjacent railway station has been pending for years. Though the foundation stone was laid during the tenure of former Union Minister E. Ahamed, the project failed to take off then. It was later revived following the intervention of Union Minister George Kurian. The Union Government had earlier announced that a site inspection would be conducted in October, a fact later confirmed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan.
With tenders now invited, the Nedumbassery railway station is finally on track to transform airport connectivity in Kerala.
