THRISSUR: Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (
KRDCL) has submitted a feasibility report for the project to construct third and fourth rail lines from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
The KRDCL has mooted an elevated corridor with an approximated length of 510 km linking the two ends of the state for running semi highspeed trains. The corridor is meant for trains with an optimum speed of 180 km per hour.
The new corridor is expected to reduce the journey time between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod to four hours, from the present 12 hours, the report said.
It moots a ‘green field alignment’ not directly linked to the existing track of the Indian Railways. The new line will have linkage with the existing track system at Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.
The trains running on the new corridor will have stops at Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod, the report said.
There is also a proposal for constructing a roadway under the elevated track for improving the road transport. The total width of land acquisition will be limited to 30 metres, the report said.
The report moots launching of ‘train sets’, with 12 cars into operation. They will operate during the day time in either direction. During the night hours conventional trains Rajdhani express and other superfast trains can be diverted through the corridor, the report says,
V Ajith Kumar, managing director, KRDCL, said the project cost could hover around Rs 46,769 crore, which would mean the investment would be around Rs 90 crore per kilometre of the corridor. Railways have suggested that detailed studies are required to assess the economic viability of the project, he said.
The feasibility report said the project can be completed within seven years. “We have already started the tendering process for selecting the consultants who would prepare the detailed project report," he said The report has invited the criticism from a section of experts, who feel that the elevated corridor on a fresh alignment would incur heavy investment. They said the cost would be considerably high if land acquisition and construction are estimated on a realistic basis, especially in the background of the proposal to run the regular trains on the new track at night hours.
Instead, the critics said the new corridor should be constructed on the sides of the existing railway track.
Responding to this,
Ajit Kumar said the existing tracks cannot be used for semi high-speed trains, considering the presence of numerous curves and gradients.
(Representative image)
