Shri V Somanna, Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, today conducted an inspection of key railway facilities in Thiruvananthapuram, including Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, Thiruvananthapuram South (Nemom) Railway Station, and the Divisional Railway Hospital.

During his visit to Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, the Minister reviewed the station's amenities and passenger facilities. He also inspected the Vande Bharat Express, interacted with passengers, and commended the railway staff for maintaining high standards of cleanliness and station upkeep.

Shri Somanna later reviewed the ongoing redevelopment work at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, alongside the Divisional Railway Manager, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Southern Railway, and senior engineers. While appreciating the progress, the Minister emphasized the need for timely completion of the redevelopment projects within the next two years. He urged for the use of modern construction methods to avoid delays and ensure faster completion.

Following this, Shri Somanna visited Thiruvananthapuram South (Nemom) Railway Station to assess the terminal facilities and the ongoing yard development projects. Addressing the public and stakeholders, he emphasized the need to develop Nemom as a major railway hub to ease congestion at Thiruvananthapuram Central. He also stressed the importance of detailed planning to meet long-term traffic requirements and enhance operational efficiency. Additionally, he praised the efforts to improve connectivity from the national highway to Thiruvananthapuram Central as part of the ongoing infrastructure works.

In his final visit to the Divisional Railway Hospital, Shri Somanna inspected the casualty department, interacted with medical staff, and met with patients. As a gesture of goodwill, he distributed fruit baskets to patients and visited the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he interacted with post-operative patients. The Minister acknowledged the hospital's success in performing major surgeries, including hip replacement procedures, and praised the medical team for providing excellent healthcare services to railway beneficiaries and Amrit Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana patients.

Shri Somanna also lauded the hospital’s cleanliness and maintenance, congratulating the Divisional Railway Manager and the entire medical team for the hospital's NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) accreditation, making it the first and only Divisional Railway Hospital in Indian Railways to achieve this recognition.

Present during the inspections were Dr. Manish Thaplyal, Divisional Railway Manager, Thiruvananthapuram Division; Shri Shaji Zachchariah, Chief Administrative Officer, Construction Organisation, Southern Railway; and Smt. Shobha Jasmine, Chief Medical Superintendent, Divisional Railway Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram Pettah.

The visit highlighted the Minister’s commitment to enhancing railway infrastructure, operational efficiency, and healthcare services across the railway division.

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