Obstacle cleared for Vizhinjam tunnel rail project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government resolved the obstruction created by officials regarding the 9.5-km tunnel railway line to the Vizhinjam port after Kerala Kaumudi highlighted the issue.

Officials had objected to the arbitration clause included in the tender documents prepared by Konkan Railway, which is responsible for the construction. This clause allows the government to claim compensation if there is a delay, abandonment of the project, or cost escalation. On October 11, Kerala Kaumudi pointed out that the same arbitration clause had already been approved for the Wayanad tunnel project. Following this, Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal reviewed the file and removed the obstacle. Approval has now been granted to invite tenders for the tunnel stretch, and an official order will be issued soon.

The project report for the railway line was approved by the Cabinet eight months ago. The tender documents were prepared six months ago. But several officials, including IAS officers, opposed the arbitration clause citing financial liability for the state. Konkan Railway insisted that the clause could not be removed, as it is mandatory in all central government tenders. This led to a complete halt in the process.

Kerala Kaumudi also reported that the project cost would increase further due to the delay. The tunnel section was originally estimated at Rs 1,482.92 crore, but the cost has now crossed Rs 1,600 crore. By the time the four-year construction is completed, the cost may reach Rs 2,000 crore.

Realising this, the Finance Department decided to adopt the same conditions approved for the Wayanad 8.735-km tunnel project, which has a construction cost of Rs 2,134.5 crore. Since the state government has to fund the railway link to the Vizhinjam port, the amount will be sourced from a NABARD loan.

45 months to complete

• If the contract is signed in December, construction can begin by March. The work is expected to be completed within 45 months. Vizhinjam will then have the third-longest railway tunnel in India.
• The tender for the tunnel will be floated within a week. It will be an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract, meaning the contract company will also prepare the engineering design.

Key details
Total route length: 10.7 km
Land acquisition cost: Rs 190 crore
Tunnel depth: 25–30 metres below the ground level of the Vizhinjam–Balaramapuram road