Metroman Sreedharan’s Kerala rail project plan moves ahead as CM Satheesan sets up four-member panel

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move that could revive Kerala’s high-speed rail ambitions in a new format, the state government on Saturday constituted a four member expert committee to examine the alternative high-speed rail corridor proposed by Metro Man E. Sreedharan.

The decision follows the detailed discussions held between Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Sreedharan at the Secretariat on May 29.

The committee will be convened by the Transport (Railways) Secretary T. V. Anupama, and includes railway expert J. Vinayan, finance expert C. Veeramani, and noted environmental expert Sridhar Radhakrishnan.

N.S. K. Umesh, Officer on Special Duty to the Kerala Chief Minister, will assist the committee and facilitate its functioning.

The move assumes importance as the UDF government is seriously considering Sreedharan’s alternative proposal in place of the controversial SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project conceived by the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government.

Soon after assuming office, the Satheesan government had scrapped the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod SilverLine project, citing concerns over feasibility and the absence of a clear Detailed Project Report (DPR).

However, the Chief Minister had said that Kerala requires a modern high-speed transport system and alternative models would be explored.

Sreedharan presented an interim report outlining a high-speed rail corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.

The first phase envisages a 473.2-km route with 23 stations linking major airports across the state.

Nearly three-fourths of the alignment is proposed to be elevated, while certain stretches would pass underground to minimise land acquisition, displacement and environmental impact.

The project report estimates that only around 608 buildings would be affected by the proposed corridor.

After construction, acquired land would be leased back to original owners for agricultural activities at nominal rates, though large-scale constructions would not be permitted.

The proposed rail system is designed considering Kerala’s high population density.

Trains operating at speeds above 200 km per hour are considered impractical due to the need for closely spaced stations.

The project proposes trains every five minutes, with each 12-coach train capable of carrying 800 passengers.

The system is expected to benefit around 2.28 lakh passengers daily, reducing travel time between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur to around three-and-a-half hours.

The estimated project cost has been revised to around Rs 60,000 crore from the earlier Rs 55,000 crore, mainly due to the plan to introduce India’s first fully solar-powered train service.

The solar energy system alone is expected to cost more than Rs 4,000 crore.

Sreedharan has suggested entrusting construction to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), following the Kochi Metro model, to avoid delays.

The funding model proposes Rs 36,000 crore from Central and state governments, while the remaining Rs 24,000 crore would be raised through public participation via a crowd funding mechanism by offering shares.

The state government will study the report before taking a final decision on the ambitious project.

IANS