THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The country’s first solar energy-driven miniature rail system was inaugurated by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Veli Tourist Village here on Monday. It is a part of a string of projects implemented at a cost of Rs 60 crore to elevate the facilities at the panoramic tourist destination to international standards.
CM also opened the urban park and swimming pool at the tourist vlllage. “The eco-friendly solar-powered 2.5km miniature railway system will enable visitors to enjoy the beauty of nature. The Rs 10-crore project is the first-of-its-kind in the country,” the chief minister said in his address via video conference.
“Artificial steam coming out from the engine of the train, modelled after the vintage steam locomotive, will stir nostalgic feelings. The station house is also designed in a traditional style. The surplus energy generated by the system will be routed to KSEB’s grid,” said the chief minister.
A tourist facilitation centre, convention centre and an art cafe will also be opened at Veli. The convention centre will have an art gallery, digital display facility featuring tourism and cultural centres in state and an open air theatre.
Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran, who presided over the function, said that the government had allotted around Rs 120 crore for tourism sector in one year alone. Of these, administrative sanction has been given to Rs 60-crore worth of projects for Veli.
The miniature rail has all the features of a fully-equipped rail system including a tunnel, station and ticket office. The train, which will be an attraction for children especially, has three bogies that can accommodate around 45 people on board at a time. The urban park has been built at a cost of Rs 5 crore, and the swimming pool at Rs 2.5 crore. V S Sivakumar MLA, mayor K Sreekumar and KTDC chairman M Vijayakumar, were present on the occasion. Tourism secretary Rani George welcomed the gathering and tourism director P Bala Kiran presented the report.