Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off three Amrit Bharat Express trains and a new passenger service for Kerala today, during his visit to the state capital, raising expectations of major infrastructure announcements — including a possible high-speed rail corridor.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Thiruvananthapuram Central–Tambaram, Nagercoil Junction–Mangaluru Junction, and Thiruvananthapuram–Hyderabad Amrit Bharat Express trains, along with the Guruvayur–Thrissur passenger train. The flag-off ceremony is scheduled for 10.30 am at Putharikandam Maidan.
During the event, Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Hub, besides launching infrastructure projects worth ₹250 crore. The programme will include the inauguration of loan and credit card distribution to one lakh beneficiaries under the PM SVANidhi scheme.
Amid these developments, Kerala is keenly watching for a possible announcement on a high-speed rail project, seen as an alternative to the state government’s controversial SilverLine proposal. Sources indicate that the Prime Minister may also touch upon the proposed Thiruvananthapuram Metro project.
Speculation has grown after the Union Railway Ministry rejected the SilverLine project and tasked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a high-speed rail corridor in the state. Reports suggest that the project would be led by former DMRC chief advisor E Sreedharan and could span around 430 km from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur, enabling train speeds of up to 200 km per hour — a move that could significantly transform Kerala’s rail connectivity.
