Malappuram railway line; a dream since 1950

Malappuram: The discussions for a railway line through Malappuram city started even before the state of Kerala was born. In 1950 to be precise. A feasibility study was held then. Later, MLAs C. H. Muhammad Koya and K. M. Seethi Sahib took efforts to make it a reality.

In 1990, the demand for the Angadipuram-Feroke railway line was heard in the parliament as well. During the railway budget discussion that year, the then Manjeri MP Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait put forward the demand.

One-and-a-half decades later, the Kerala government itself came into the picture. It submitted the Angadippuram-Feroke railway project for the central government’s consideration in 2004. Former Manjeri MP T. K. Hamsa also intervened. Funds were allocated for the Angadipuram-Feroke railway line in the 2008-09 railway budget.

Two surveys were held along with the feasibility study to develop Kozhikode West Hill into a satellite station. When the survey was completed in 2010, the Angadipuram-Feroke railway line was found profitable. Subsequently, the project was sent for the approval of the railway planning commission.

When Mamata Banerjee was the railway minister in 2009, the Angadipuram-Feroke railway line was included in the vision 2020 project. It was scheduled to be completed in 2020.

When E. Ahamed became the Minister of State for Railways, Malappuram’s hopes of the project becoming a reality doubled. Thanks to his efforts, the Angadipuram-Feroke railway line was approved by the planning commission along with the Nilambur-Nanjangud line in 2010.

Meanwhile, following the intervention of then MP A. Vijayaraghavan, a survey was held for the Tirur-Malappuram-Angadipuram railway line.

It was found that extending the Angadipuram railway line on the Kozhikode-Palakkad route until Ottapalam would be beneficial. The route attracted cargo movement and was short in distance. Hence, funds were allocated for a survey in this regard in the 2012-13 railway budget.

In 2018, senior railway officials who came to Kozhikode, held discussions with M. K. Raghavan MP and promised to expedite construction of the railway line. While announcing its budget in 2020, the Malappuram municipality also promised to take efforts to make the railway line a reality.

Despite all the efforts, promises and decisions the railway line remains a dream of the people of Malappuram.