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Kerala's 'Metroman' Opens Office for High-Speed Rail Despite Budget Snub

'Metroman' E Sreedharan has inaugurated an office in Ponnani for a proposed high-speed rail line in Kerala, even though the project was not included in the recent Union Budget. The rail corridor is planned to run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur with a top speed of 200 kmph. Sreedharan expressed confidence in securing central government approval, stating that field work for surveys is expected to begin by April. The move comes ahead of Kerala's assembly elections this year.

Key Points: Sreedharan Opens Kerala High-Speed Rail Office Post-Budget

  • Office opened despite no Union Budget mention
  • Project aims for 200 kmph speed
  • Detailed survey to start by April
  • Sreedharan confident of central approval
2 min read

Despite no mention in Union Budget, 'Metroman' Sreedharan opens office for Kerala high-speed rail line

E Sreedharan launches office for Kerala's high-speed rail project despite its exclusion from the Union Budget, expressing confidence in central approval.

"Time is money. We decided not to waste time. - E Sreedharan"

Malappuram, February 2

'Metroman' E Sreedharan on Monday opened an office in Ponnani in Kerala's Malappuram district for a proposed high-speed rail project in the State.

The development comes despite Kerala finding no mention in the Union Budget 2026-27 presented in Parliament a day ago regartding he 7 high-speed rail corridors. The corridors included in the central budget include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri.

Earlier last week, the Kerala State Budget presented ahead of the Union Budget announced its own Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the hope that it would be included in the Union Budget.

Addressing reporters after the opening of the Ponnani office, the 93-year-old Sreedharan who served as the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro and was lauded for his role in Konkan Railway, expressed confidence about securing central Government approval for the project.

He said that the project would be implemented by the Railway Ministry, with the Kerala government's views to be sought after a detailed project report (DPR) is prepared.

"Time is money. We decided not to waste time," Sreedharan told reporters here today on deciding to go ahead without formal approval. The proposed high-speed rail line will run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur, with a maximum speed of 200 kmph.

"The office has been opened, although the staff has been called...work will officially start from today. Everything will be done without causing any inconvenience to locals. The staff will be instructed about the things to be completed quickly and about the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The field work is expected to start by April and completed by June 1," he said.

"The stations have been decided whether it should be elevated or underground. A station-to-station plan will be made. The locals should be brought to our side and their trust should be gained. The survey will be conducted manually. The yellow markers will not be placed for the timebeing. A decision will be taken in connection with land acquisition," Sreedharan said.

Earlier today, Sreedharan's wife Radha lit the traditional lamp at the opening ceremony of the Ponnani office.

Incidentally, Sreedharan contested the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections as a BJP candidate from the Palakkad seat. He subsequently quit the party and politics. Keraal is set to head into Assembly elections this year.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
As someone from Malappuram, this is exciting news! A high-speed rail connecting the entire state lengthwise will be a game-changer for travel and business. Hope the DPR is prepared quickly and the project gets the green light. We need this development.
A
Aman W
With all due respect to the Metroman's legacy, this feels a bit like putting the cart before the horse. Opening an office without formal approval or budget allocation? What if the Centre says no? Could lead to wasted resources and disappointed hopes.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see this move ahead of the state elections. The political angle is hard to ignore, even if Sreedharan Sir has quit politics. A project of this scale needs bipartisan support to survive different governments.
K
Karthik V
His focus on gaining local trust before starting surveys is commendable. So many projects fail because of public opposition to land acquisition. If anyone can get this done efficiently and sensitively, it's Sreedharan. Fingers crossed! 🤞
M
Michael C
The proposed route from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur is massive. 200 kmph on Indian tracks? The engineering challenges, especially in Kerala's terrain, will be huge. Hope the DPR addresses all this realistically. The ambition is great, but execution is key.

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