The long-pending plan for establishing a rail link to Pampa—the base station of the Sabarimala temple—from Chengannur in Alappuzha has taken a stride forward with the authorities deciding to carry out a Final Location Survey of the 75-km-long route.
The project that has been in the works for several years finally got the required push from metroman E. Sreedharan, who had sent a letter in this regard to the Ministry of Railways a couple of months ago. The project envisages opening a fast rail transit system on elevated tracks that originates from the Chengannur railway station.
Railway sources said further consideration of the project would be based on examination of the Detailed Project Report. As part of it, an official delegation from the Southern Railway also held consultations with Mr. Sreedharan on the modalities of the proposed survey.
Confirming the development, Mr. Sreedharan said the final contours of the project would be finalised after the survey. “It is envisaged as a semi high-speed rail, which will take passengers just about 45 minutes to the base station at Pampa. Space constraints and extremely limited possibilities of expanding the rail network at the ground level in future have prompted the move to set up this elevated corridor, which will go along the banks of the Pampa,” he explained.
The pillars, according to Mr. Sreedharan, will be high enough so that the rail system does not disturb the large tracts of forest land underneath. The total cost of the project, which also include all its allied works, is estimated to be around ₹13,500 crore.
“The rail link, which also comprises a couple of stations en route, will go a long way in reducing the road traffic to the hill shrine, especially during the two-month-long annual pilgrim season. During the off-seasons, it will also cater to the tourist traffic as the route offers a breathtaking view of the Pampa basin, the Western Ghats as well as their surrounding greenery,” he added.
The railway station at Chengannur currently serves as the biggest transit point for inter-State pilgrims to Sabarimala, followed by Kottayam.
