Kerala having 2 divisions was never the original problem but became one soon for 2 reasons:

1. The neighboring state towns (historically NCJ, later MAQ and POY after gauge conversion) were not getting the services they wanted.

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They wanted to create a separate zone and were opposed to the formation of the SA division and what could still become the TEN division.

Being part of SR, Kerala got a headstart in rail development compared to Tamil Nadu and enjoyed higher priority all the way upto 2000 (All new lines in Kerala were laid in BG & Gauge conversion happened much early on plus got a doubled line across the state first while most of interior TN subsisted on what was British-laid infrastructure).

Kerala did not generate much freight traffic, but passenger traffic has been quite high due to the population density and geography factors (both ends of the state connected by one line).

The doubling of the ERS-KTYM-KYJ route was perhaps the only section inside Kerala that dragged on until the current regime. This section would have also been doubled sooner if not for the alternate path available through ALLP.

Kerala did not capitalize on this headstart it got in the 1960-90 and they did not go for new lines to expand their railway map while the existing line (especially ERS-SRR sector) started reaching saturation by mid-2000s.

This was instead blamed on SR, and there was demand for the creation of a new Kerala-based railway zone with PGT and TVC divisions (which was not likely to happen as both divisions were loss-making due to the comparative volume of passenger traffic vs freight) and that was countered from TN's side calling for creation...
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of SA division which happened in 2006.

POY was transferred to PGT to compensate for SA division bifurcation and has only since started to face a multitude of issues (poor maintenance of infrastructure as well as lack of trains).

MAQ was the only terminus for PGT division and north Kerala since time immemorial but since the gauge conversion of the Hassan line and opening of KR, has not received anything back.

NCJ-CAPE have been agitating since when they appeared on the railway map (again without which TVC division would not have been born).

DRM Offices at TVC division and PGT division have a track record of objecting to proposals from other divisions/zones citing all kinds of feasibility issues (POY) or capacity constraints (NCJ or MAQ). Nor do they bother to take cognizance of the views of the local rail passenger associations of these places which have festered into absolute demand for transferring these stations away.

You don't hear of such perennial issues from other state towns in SBC division or MAS division.

MDU division has taken in trains from Punalur such as Palaruvi/GUV-PUU Exp to TEN and MDU when it was proposed by TVC for inter-state passengers and to ensure connectivity for the Ghat section stations in its jurisdiction with the rest of Kerala. Is there a greater difficulty operating trains through CNV-POY than it is on the QLN-TSI stretch?!

There has been some capacity augmentation at MAQ and NCJ recently, what kind of services have been proposed? MAQ got 1+1 VBs and NCJ new pitline got Rajya Rajni Exp and about to get Vivek Exp daily run first thing.