Satheesan govt eyes new broad gauge High Speed Rail project for Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, May 22
The United Democratic Front government led by Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan has formally buried Kerala's controversial SilverLine project and is eyeing an alternative broad-gauge high-speed rail corridor, setting the stage for a major political and infrastructure debate in the State.
The move assumes significance as it was Satheesan himself, during his tenure as Leader of the Opposition, who spearheaded one of Kerala's biggest political campaigns against the Rs 63,000 crore SilverLine project, both inside the Assembly and on the streets.
The project had triggered widespread protests over land acquisition, environmental concerns and displacement fears, particularly after the previous Communist Party of India-Marxist-led government began placing controversial yellow survey stones across several districts.
Throughout the agitation, Satheesan had repeatedly promised that a future UDF government would scrap what he termed an unviable financially and environmentally disastrous project.
The campaign had also drawn strong criticism from Metro Man E. Sreedharan, who opposed the SilverLine model and questioned the decision to adopt standard gauge instead of the Indian Railways-compatible broad gauge system.
With the UDF now in power, the government has begun shaping a fresh proposal aligned with Railway Ministry policies.
The new plan envisages a broad-gauge semi-high-speed rail corridor capable of handling both passenger services, including Vande Bharat Express trains, and freight movement.
The proposed corridor is expected to cover the 580-km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in nearly four-and-a-half hours with trains operating at speeds up to 160 kmph.
The government is also considering a largely elevated alignment built on pillars to minimise land acquisition and environmental impact.
Officials indicated that the State would seek the direct guidance of Sreedharan before approaching the Railway Ministry for approvals and technical support.
A fresh feasibility study is expected to begin shortly. Revenue Minister A. P. Anil Kumar has meanwhile ordered the removal of nearly 8,000 yellow boundary stones installed during the SilverLine land acquisition process at an estimated cost of Rs 1.62 crore.
Landowners would also be formally informed that acquisition proceedings have been cancelled.
The proposed corridor is expected to integrate with the existing railway network at regular intervals and may also include Roll-on/Roll-off freight systems linked to the Vizhinjam International Seaport, potentially giving a major boost to cargo logistics and industrial growth.
Political observers are now closely watching how the Left Democratic Front opposition, led by Pinarayi Vijayan, responds, as the very project once championed by the Left has now been decisively dismantled by the government that rose to power opposing it.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I appreciate the pivot to broad gauge and involving Metro Man Sreedharan - his expertise is invaluable. But let's be honest, any massive infrastructure project in Kerala will face land acquisition challenges. The real test is whether this government can handle the opposition from both LDF and affected locals. Hope they've learned from SilverLine's mistakes.
Interesting how quickly political stances can change. Satheesan campaigned hard against SilverLine, and now he's basically proposing a similar but modified project. The elevated alignment idea is smart to minimize displacement, but can they really build 580 km of elevated track without major cost overruns? I remain cautiously optimistic.
As someone from Kasaragod, this would be a game-changer for northern Kerala. Current train travel to Trivandrum takes 12+ hours - reducing to 4.5 hours? Sign me up! Just please ensure the alignment covers underserved areas and doesn't benefit only the rich. And the Ro-Ro freight link to Vizhinjam port is brilliant for our economy! 👌
The irony here is rich - the LDF spent crores on yellow stones and surveys for a project that's now been scrapped, and the UDF who opposed it is now proposing something similar. Politics aside, I hope this new project focuses more on feasibility studies before jumping into execution. Kerala needs better rail connectivity, but not at any cost.
Removing those 8,000 yellow stones at Rs 1.62 crore cost - that's taxpayers' money wasted on a project that never happened. I worry this new project might
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