The Kerala High-Speed Rail project proposal will be examined by a four-member expert committee formed to review a proposed high-speed railway corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur.

Kerala High-Speed Rail project review begins
Kerala High-Speed Rail project review begins

Kerala High-Speed Rail project moves to expert review

The proposed Kerala High-Speed Rail project is based on an interim report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation⁠. A government order issued by the Transport Department said the plan envisages a 473.20-km standard-gauge corridor⁠ connecting the two cities.

The committee will be headed by the Secretary, Transport (Railways). Its members include railway expert J Vinayan, finance expert Dr C Veeramani and environmental expert Sridhar Radhakrishnan.

N S K Umesh, Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister, has also been directed to assist the Transport Secretary and help the committee carry out its work.

Panel to assess feasibility, viability and impact

The panel will conduct a detailed review of the proposal, covering technical feasibility, financial viability, environmental implications, implementation challenges and possible socio-economic benefits for Kerala.

The committee has been asked to submit its remarks and recommendations to the government within three weeks, the order said.

The expert panel was constituted after recent consultations between ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan and Chief Minister V D Satheesan on the proposed high-speed rail network for the state.

SilverLine background and future mobility needs

The UDF government had earlier shelved the SilverLine project, which had been proposed by the previous LDF regime.

Satheesan had also indicated that Kerala would need an efficient mass transit system for future mobility needs and that alternative models would be examined through detailed studies.