The Centre is making moves to infuse ₹20,000 crore in a phased manner to enhance the speed of trains along the existing network in State to 160km/hr, with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This will effectively put on hold the State’s government’s proposal for the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail corridor project, which promises to take commuters from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in four hours. A presentation was held recently in this regard.
Works envisaged
The project envisages first drawing a third line parallel to the existing network from Ernakulam to Shoranur for which ₹5,000 crore is expected; completing the doubling work between Ernakulam and Ambalappuzha for which ₹1,000 crore is required; and ₹14,000 crore for strengthening, and fixing the curves in the existing lines between Shoranur to Kasaragod and Ambalappuzha to Thiruvananthapuram.
This is expected to facilitate the movement of trains at 160 km/hr from south to north. Currently, the average highest speed in the network is 90 km/hr. The third line between Ernakulam to Shoranur will mostly be away from the existing line as the existing Ghat line has a lot of gradients and curves. Further, although the SilverLine was planned along the Chengannur and Kottayam route, the new project would be through Alappuzha as the line is somewhat straight compared to the Kottayam route, which is good for speeding up the trains.
Political angle
A senior bureaucrat told The Hindu that a presentation in this regard was held among the top officials, including Railways, and once the project is approved by technocrat E. Sreedharan, it is expected to be forwarded to the office of the Prime Minister, as the future of the project would be more political rather than technical feasibility.
“We don’t have any issues with cooperating with the project as any investment will be good for the State. But it remains to be seen whether the Centre, which was not even ready to contribute ₹2,000 crore for the SilverLine, will pump in ₹20,000 crore for the rail development of Kerala. The project also requires the approval of NITI Aayog, the government’s apex thinktank, the Finance Ministry and the Railway Board.
But when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is getting ready to expand its footprint in south India for which it conceived a ‘Mission South’ which is well on track after the recent national executive committee meeting of the party in Hyderabad, the chances are also equally high for the project, according to sources.
