Kerala needs high-speed rail, not controversy
A high-speed railway line with fast-moving trains is essential for Kerala’s future development. Metro Man E. Sreedharan has announced that a new high-speed rail project will be introduced instead of the SilverLine project. He has indicated that the DPR will be prepared soon and that the central government may announce the high-speed rail project for Kerala in the upcoming Union Budget. Months ago, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also stated that SilverLine would not go ahead in its original form, but could come in a different model. The opposition has also not opposed a high-speed rail project for Kerala.
Compared to SilverLine, the new alternative project would require much less land acquisition, making it more acceptable to the public. The high-speed rail line proposed by E. Sreedharan will run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur. The trains will have a top speed of 200 km per hour. About 70 percent of the line will be built on pillars, while most of the remaining sections will be constructed through tunnels. With approval from the central government, E. Sreedharan himself will prepare the DPR. One of the biggest attractions of the project is that trains will run every five minutes. The travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur will be just three and a half hours.
Given that Kerala is a long and narrow state, this project is expected to solve most of the state’s travel problems. Political leaders and social media users must be careful not to create unnecessary controversies or ego-driven disputes that could delay this alternative project. Everyone must stand united to protect Kerala’s larger public interest. There is hope that once the DPR is prepared and approvals are obtained, construction can begin early next year.
More than 40 percent of the project cost will have to be borne by Kerala. There is little doubt that the project will succeed, as seen from the current situation where tickets on Vande Bharat trains are hard to get. Therefore, the money invested in this project is expected to be recovered over time. The change in name from SilverLine is not important. The same objective of that project will be achieved through this new plan in a more practical and feasible manner.