Kochuveli, Nemom railway stations to be renamed: Center accepts Kerala’s demand

Thiruvananthapuram: The central government has accepted the request of the state government to rename Kochuveli and Nemom railway stations. Kochuveli Railway Station will now be known as Thiruvananthapuram North, and Nemom will be renamed Thiruvananthapuram South.

The state has received a letter from the Union Home Ministry granting approval for the name changes. This move will facilitate the process of transforming these two stations into satellite terminals for Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station.

The Center's approval addresses a long-standing need of the state. V Abdurahiman, the state minister in charge of railways, had written to the Union Railway Minister and top railway officials requesting the name change.

Nemom and Kochuveli stations are each 9 km away from Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. Due to the increasing number of trains originating from Central, around 15 trains currently start service from Kochuveli. It is estimated that around seven thousand passengers rely on this station every day.

Most services operating from Kochuveli are long-distance trains. However, the name Kochuveli is not familiar to those outside Kerala, leading some travelers to cancel plans if they couldn't secure reservations to Thiruvananthapuram Central. The name change aims to resolve this issue

The renaming is expected to boost passenger numbers and revenue. Kochuveli currently has six platforms, and a coach care center is under preparation. The name change will also significantly aid the development of Nemom Terminal.