Cabinet okays 583-km high-speed TVM-Kasaragod rail line

CLOSE on the heels of the Centre’s move to consider a new high-speed rail corridor for Kerala, as announced by technocrat E. Sreedharan recently, the State Cabinet, which met on Wednesday, gave in-principle approval for the implementation of the 583-km Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, reports The Hindu.

The Centre had earlier extended support to Kerala for implementing the RRTS, subject to the submission of a detailed project report (DPR) by the State.

As per the Cabinet decision, a formal letter will be sent to the Centre expressing the State’s interest in the project. The Cabinet has also tasked the Transport department with initiating the necessary consultations.

Following discussions with the Centre, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed as soon as an in-principle approval is received. The State proposed the RRTS in the backdrop of technical objections raised by the Union Railways Ministry to the DPR of the semi-high-speed rail project (SilverLine) submitted by Kerala.

Citing the successful implementation of the Delhi–Meerut RRTS corridor, the Cabinet noted that the RRTS is a practical and socially acceptable high-speed rail system in India. Operating at speeds of 160–180 kmph, with short station intervals and high passenger capacity, the RRTS is considered suitable for Kerala.

Given the State’s high population density and sensitive topography that demands environmental protection, an elevated viaduct model could be adopted instead of the embankment model. This would significantly reduce land acquisition, avoid disruption to natural water flow, and help minimise public resistance to the project, the paper said.

Most of the alignment will be supported on pillars, with embankments and tunnels used only where necessary. The RRTS stations can be integrated with the existing Kochi Metro and the proposed metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

The project is expected to improve last-mile connectivity and reduce dependence on private vehicles, thereby creating a unified, multi-modal transport network across the State, the meeting observed.

The Delhi RRTS project is being implemented with 20% of the project cost financed by the State government, 20% by the Centre, and the remaining 60% through long-term loans from international financial institutions.

The same funding model could be adopted for Kerala. The project may be implemented in phases, with the first phase — the ‘Travancore Line’ from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur — also involving the integration of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro and Kochi Metro. Work on this 284-km-long phase could begin in 2027, with completion projected by 2033.

The second phase would be the Malabar Line from Thrissur to Kozhikode, along with the integration of the Kozhikode Metro. The third phase envisages the development of the Kannur Line from Kozhikode to Kannur, followed by the final phase connecting Kannur to Kasaragod, the paper added.

Another key feature of the project is its potential future expansion to Coimbatore via Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari, and Kasaragod to Mangaluru, in cooperation with neighbouring States.

By implementing the project in phases, the complete RRTS network across Kerala, including the Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Metro corridor, could be realised in approximately 12 years, the meeting opined.