Plan to increase speed of trains in Kerala not moving at desired pace

Sunday 21 January, 2024 | 9:31 AM READ MALAYALAM VERSION

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The plan to increase the speed of trains in the state has been extended for one more year. Though the plan was to increase the speed to 130 km, it has been suggested to achieve at least 110 km. The 1300 crore project to strengthen the tracks and straighten the curves to increase the speed of trains was started last year. It was supposed to be completed in March. It was decided to strengthen the railways and increase the speed with the launch of Vande Bharat services.

At present, the maximum speed that trains can achieve through the tracks in the state is 90 kmph. The track from Shornur to Mangalore can reach a speed of 110 kmph in some places. The average speed in the state is 55 kmph. Vande Bharat, which runs from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, is the fastest train through Kerala with a speed of 80 kmph. The average speed is 73 kmph. The maximum speed that a Vande Bharat can reach is 160 kmph. However, Vande Bharat runs at 160 kmph only on the Delhi-Varanasi route.

Vande Bharat was implemented in the state with the propaganda that it is an alternative to the Silver Line project, where trains can run at a speed of 200 to 220 km. The works of strengthening the tracks and straightening the curves were started so that the trains could be run at 130 kmph within a year. However, the project did not progress at the expected pace due to delay in land acquisition and difficulty in finding rock for construction. There were more than 300 bends to straighten in the tracks in Kerala. This was found in the LiDAR survey. Following this, it was aimed to straighten the curves in the necessary places and achieve the maximum speed.

LiDAR survey

LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection Ranging) is a sensing technology used in the construction of roads, railways, rivers, bridges, and tunnels. Using infrared or laser equipped in this, a detailed map of an area can be prepared. The survey found 35 percent curves in the railway track in Kerala, a total of 626 curves in 1257 kms. Among this, there are 202 sharp curves.