Kochi: In a major boost to Kerala’s rail infrastructure, the Union government has granted approval for a high-speed rail corridor in the state as an alternative to the controversial SilverLine project. The Railway Ministry has entrusted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with the task of preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the ambitious project.
The DPR and preliminary works will be led by former DMRC chief advisor E Sreedharan, who said the report would be completed within nine months. The Centre’s approval followed a meeting between Sreedharan and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on January 16. Sreedharan had earlier presented the project proposal to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
According to Sreedharan, the new high-speed rail corridor will effectively address concerns raised against the SilverLine project and will differ fundamentally in both design and execution. Stations are planned at intervals of 20–25 km, with trains operating every five minutes. The corridor is designed for a maximum speed of 200 km per hour, significantly easing the state’s transport bottlenecks once completed.
Land acquisition, a major hurdle for earlier proposals, is not expected to pose serious challenges. The project will require only about one-third of the land originally earmarked for SilverLine, with nearly 70–75% of the corridor constructed as elevated tracks. Only a small portion will run underground. Under the new land acquisition policy, land beneath elevated tracks will be returned to owners for agricultural and other uses.
The proposed alignment will largely follow the existing railway line from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam, before extending through other regions up to Kannur. The first phase of the project will cover the Thiruvananthapuram–Kannur stretch, with future extensions potentially reaching Kasaragod, Mangaluru, and even Mumbai.
Delhi-based state government special representative K V Thomas said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had given approval when Sreedharan met him earlier. He added that delays occurred due to initial reluctance from the Railway Ministry, but the project has now received clearance and DPR preparation is underway, with the state government welcoming the development.
The corridor will be developed on the lines of Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS) such as the Delhi–Meerut line, using standard-gauge, lightweight trains capable of running at speeds of up to 200 km per hour. Travel time between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur is expected to be reduced to around three-and-a-half hours.
The project is estimated to cost approximately ₹1 lakh crore, with the Centre and the state sharing expenses in a 51:49 ratio. While the first phase focuses on Thiruvananthapuram–Kannur, the possibility of extending the corridor up to Mumbai remains under active consideration.
