Thiruvananthapuram: State government nod to high-speed rail

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has accepted the alignment of Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod semi-high speed railway project.   A new track will be constructed parallel to the present one  from Tirur to Kasaragod.

A new railway station complex will be constructed at Kochuveli for the corridor and  a new railway station  behind the Medcity Hospital in Kollam. New stations have also been sanctio-ned for Chengannur, Kot-tayam, Ernakulam, Thri-ssur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod.

The new line will be away from the existing railway line in the 300-km Kochuveli-Shoranur section and parallel to the existing line from Thiru-navaya to Kasaragod.

The feasibility report submitted by Paris-based engineering and consulting group Systra, the general consultant of Kerala Railway Development Corporation Limited (KRD-CL), a special purpose vehicle formed for cost-sharing basis between the state and the Indian Railways, for setting up the projects has finalised Rs 19,940 cr for the project. This included Rs 8,650 cr for land acquisition. The total cost is expected to be Rs 66,405 cr with an expected 5 per cent cost escalation.

The state will have a 12 per cent equity contribution.

The rail line will have a capacity to run at a speed of 200 km per hour. However, the trains will run at a maximum speed of 180 km per hour. They will have nine cars initially and 12 and 15 later. The coaches will be made of aluminum.