The Central government has said that the hurdles in the Angamaly–Erumeli Sabari Rail project have been resolved, giving fresh hope to the long-pending plan. The Ministry of Railways informed the Kerala High Court that land acquisition will begin soon in coordination with the state government.
Deputy chief engineer from Southern Railway told the court that steps are being taken to speed up the project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 3,810 crore. The government has agreed to share half of the total cost, about Rs 1,900 crore. The state government’s letter stating that Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) will bear the remaining 50 percent was also submitted to the High Court.
With these assurances, the High Court closed the public interest litigation related to the project. The railway line, which is about 111 km long, was first announced in the 1997 Railway Budget. So far, only an 8 km stretch from Angamaly to Kalady has been completed. The project is expected to benefit pilgrims travelling to Sabarimala Temple as well as local residents.
