The long-term benefits of the SilverLine semi high-speed rail project should not be ignored, V.K. Ramachandran, vice chairman, Kerala State Planning Board, said on Thursday, reacting to the criticism levelled against the project.
Speaking at the 34th Kerala Science Congress, Prof. Ramachandran noted that long-term, large infrastructure projects such as SilverLine cannot be evaluated on short-term financial viability considerations alone.
Case of London
“It’s very important that we move out of that mindset. When the London underground railway was conceived it was considered financially unviable. But today the city of London’s economic activities would be inconceivable without it. Green technologies that we consider cheaper than fossil fuel technologies were not initially financially viable,” he said.
On criticisms regarding the environmental impact of the project, Prof. Ramachandran said critics have got it wrong as such a project has the potential to build a climate-responsive and net zero world. Building capacities today in order to achieve the carbon net neutral world over the next three to four decades is the core aspect of the national strategy of all countries. High-speed rail systems leave a smaller carbon footprint than other modes of transport, he said.
“Clearly a project of this size and complexity will involve issues of implementation, resource mobilisation, the important task of measuring the local environmental impact, specific alignment of tracks, and humane compensation policy. All of these can and must be addressed,’” he said.
Finance factor
On criticisms regarding the capital-intense nature of the project and the impact on Kerala's finances, he said the actual debate should be on the necessity to change the current Centre-State fiscal regime to ensure that States can indeed invest in projects of infrastructural importance.
Prof. Ramachandran pointed out that Japan's high-speed rail system was developed and implemented by that country's national railways when it was under immense financial stress due to borrowings. High-speed railways is also one of the factors that have spurred development in China, Prof. Ramachandran said.
