MoS Suresh Gopi, George Kurien inaugurate 2 Amrit railway stations in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Ministers of State Suresh Gopi and George Kurien inaugurated two redeveloped Amrit railway stations in Kerala on Thursday, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s online inauguration of 103 revamped Amrit Stations across 86 districts in 18 States and Union Territories.

At Chiryankil railway station, located about 30 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi led the inauguration, while at Badagara station in Kozhikode district, Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurien was the chief guest.

Suresh Gopi praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, stating that with the Prime Minister at the helm, there is no doubt about the nation’s infrastructure development, which transcends political affiliations. “It’s only development that is the priority for our Prime Minister Modi, and Kerala can expect numerous projects lined up,” he added.

On the same day, PM Modi laid the foundation stones and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over ₹26,000 crore across the country. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that out of over 1,300 railway stations identified for redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the first batch of 103 Amrit Stations was inaugurated on Thursday.

The second phase will see another 100 Amrit Stations ready in the next eight months, with plans to complete the redevelopment of approximately 500 stations by 2027. Kerala is expected to have several more stations renovated under subsequent phases.

Kerala’s railway network spans 1,054 kilometres and is managed by three of the six divisions of Southern Railway. The Tirur railway station, opened in 1861, holds the distinction of being the oldest station in the state, while Kollam district boasts the highest number of operational stations at 25. Shornur railway station is the largest in Kerala.

With IANS inputs