K-Rail in limbo: Railways seeks DPR revision, state presses for standalone project

KRDCL is a Joint Venture Company of Kerala Government and Ministry of Railways.

The Union minister, however, said that Kerala government has insisted to consider it as a standalone project.

The state government, last month, gave in-approval approval to another rail project on the same stretch: Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

It claimed that the K-Rail project had to be abandoned due to lack of support from the Railways.

“Government of Kerala is currently working on a semi-high speed line named a Silver Line. KRDCL has been advised to revise the DPR in line with latest technical standards, such as adoption of broad gauge for integration with the Indian Railways network, flatter ruling gradient, proper drainage scheme for yards and sections, provision of Kavach, 2×25 kV electrification and taking environmental safeguards during construction & operation and integration with existing rail network etc.,” said Vaishnaw in a written response on the questions by John Brittas, a CPI(M) MP.

Brittas had asked whether Railways is considering a new high-speed/semi high-speed rail line project in Kerala instead of the Silver Line Project.

Vaishnaw further said, “However, Govt. of Kerala is insisting to consider Silver Line Project as stand alone project.”

On his part, veteran technocrat and BJP leader E Sreedharan has questioned the viability of the RRTS project for Kerala and claimed that Centre was ready to announce high speed corridor for the state as well in the recent Union Budget, along with seven newly announced corridors.

Railways Minister further said that a total of seven surveys have been sanctioned for increasing the speed potential of the train to 160 kmph in Kerala.

These are 307-km Shoranur-Mangalore 3rd & 4th Line, 99-km Coimbatore-Shoranur 3rd & 4th line, 106-km Shoranur-Ernakulam 3rd Line, 115-km Ernakulam-Kayankulam 3rd line (via Kottayam), 105-km Kayankulam-Thiruvanathapuram 3rd Line, 71-km Thiruvanathapuram-Nagercoil 3rd Line and 46-km Turavur-Ambalappuzha Doubling.

Angamali-Sabarimala new line or Sabari Rail is another ambitious project of the state which was stuck for a long time after being sanctioned in 1997-98 and the land acquisition process recently started.

Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More

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