Palakkad Metroman E Sreedharan announced discussions with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav regarding a new high-speed rail project in the state, with a railway announcement expected within fifteen days. Sreedharan has been appointed to lead the project.
Land acquisition isn’t anticipated to be a major hurdle, though the matter hasn’t yet been discussed with the state government. Currently, travel times between major cities are substantial: one hour and twenty minutes from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi, two and a half hours to Kozhikode, and three and a quarter hours to Kannur.
The proposed train will operate at 200 km per hour, serving 22 stops throughout Kerala. Sreedharan noted that this high-speed rail initiative will require only about one-third of the land needed for the previously planned Silver Line project.
Seventy percent of the new line will be elevated, with twenty percent running through tunnels. Sreedharan urged against any opposition to the project, emphasizing its connectivity between Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Karipur, and Kannur airports, and its minimal land footprint. Land used for pillar construction will be returned and can be used for agriculture.
Stops are planned approximately every 25 km to maximize passenger capacity. Proposed stations include Thiruvananthapuram Central Station, Airport, Varkala, Kollam, Kottarakkara, Adoor, Chengannur, Kottayam, Vaikom, Ernakulam, Aluva, Nedumbassery, Thrissur, Kunnamkulam, Edapall, Tirur, Karipur Airport, Kozhikode, Koyaladi, Vadakara, Thalassery, and Kannur. Initial plans call for eight coaches, expandable to a maximum of sixteen. The coaches will utilize existing Indian technology, with an eight-coach train capable of carrying 560 passengers.
The all-inclusive cost is estimated at 200 crore per kilometer, totaling 86,000 crore. Sreedharan anticipates the final cost could reach one lakh crore by project completion.
