Kerala asks Centre to extend Sabari rail to Vizhinjam and announce it in Union Budget

Sunday 30 June, 2024 | 2:43 AM READ MALAYALAM VERSION

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has asked the Centre to announce a Rs 4800 crore project to extend Angamali-Erumeli Sabari railway to Vizhinjam port in the Union budget. The demand is to include it in the Rail Sagar project of the central government.

In a letter written to the chairman of the railway board, Chief Secretary Dr V Venu wrote that as the Vizhinjam Port is being commissioned soon, the roads will not be able to support the movement of containers and therefore a railway to the north is necessary.

"When a survey was conducted in 2013 to extend Sabari Rail from Erumeli to Thiruvananthapuram, it was found that the revenue would be low. Now the situation has changed. Travel time on MC Road has increased due to traffic congestion. The situation will become serious when the movement of goods from Vizhinjam port through MC road increases," the chief secretary wrote in the letter.

"The National Highways Authority is preparing a plan for Angamali - Thiruvananthapuram greenfield road parallel to MC Road. This road also cannot meet the needs of the port. It is enough to extend the Sabari rail line till Balaramapuram as a broad gauge line is being constructed from Balaramapuram to Vizhinjam port," he added.

The chief secretary also pointed out that the project is in line with the railway policy of railway connectivity in towns with a population of half a million.