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.