Kerala needs semi-high-speed railway corridor; building of additional lines will not solve state's travel woes, says E Sreedharan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Metro Man E. Sreedharan will advocate to the central government the need for a semi-high-speed rail line in Kerala. He said that building two additional lines parallel to the existing railway line would not be sufficient to solve the state’s travel woes. Even if additional north-south lines are constructed, high-speed trains would require fencing on both sides, which would cause further inconvenience to the public. Hence, a dedicated railway corridor capable of speeds up to 200 km/h is essential. This is inevitable for the future of Kerala, Sreedharan said in an interview with Kerala Kaumudi.

According to Sreedharan, only one-third of the land required for the proposed SilverLine project would be needed for this alternative corridor. The tracks will run over pillars and through tunnels. After constructing the pillars, the land can be returned to the owners, allowing for farming and cattle rearing. However, restrictions would apply to constructing buildings and planting large trees. Since the rail will run above the ground on pillars, it won’t obstruct public movement. Although Vande Bharat trains are capable of 160 km/h, the maximum achievable speed in Kerala is currently only 110 km/h. A dedicated high-speed corridor would revolutionise travel in the state, reducing road accidents and fatalities. One high-speed rail corridor is equivalent to a 9-lane highway, Sreedharan pointed out. He added that he would soon meet the Union Railway Minister to explain the project and seek approval.

6 years to complete works

If the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is assigned the project, the corridor can be built in six years. A detailed project report (DPR) can be prepared within a year. Since the track will be elevated, the estimated cost is Rs 1.5 lakh crore. In comparison, the SilverLine was estimated at Rs 78,000 crore.

Stops in all major cities
The semi-high-speed train will have stops every 25–30 km. Though capable of speeds up to 200 km/h, the average speed would be 135 km/h. It will take three hours and 15 minutes to reach Kannur from Thiruvananthapuram, 1 hour and 20 minutes to Kochi, and two and a half hours to Kozhikode.

Passenger capacity: 560
Initially, the trains will have eight coaches with a capacity of 560 passengers. This can be increased to 16 coaches later. Ticket pricing will be 1.5 times the current AC chair car rate.

Railway Board’s view:
The track should be broad gauge like existing lines. A speed of 160 km/h is sufficient. Freight and Vande Bharat trains should also operate on it. There should be connections with the existing tracks at 50km intervals. The central government aims to build 25,000 km of high-speed rail in the next 15 years

Sreedharan’s stand:
Broad gauge high-speed rail is impractical. Standard gauge is sufficient. The aim is ultra-fast travel, with tracks supporting 200 km/h. Travel time should be reduced by 65%. Running freight trains on such tracks will reduce speed and cause safety risks

Financing:
The project can be implemented with a mix of central and state government funding and foreign loans, with a central government guarantee. The cost of constructing 1 km of high-speed track is Rs 120 crore.

Land requirement:
While SilverLine required hectares of land, this project needs only 400 hectares.

"A plan has been prepared that will not cause difficulties for the public. It involves minimal environmental impact and limited land acquisition."
— E. Sreedharan