THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The rail and road connectivity projects to Vizhinjam International Seaport will soon become a reality. The construction of 1.7-km road connecting the port and NH-66 is in the last stretch, while the rail link is expected to be completed by 2028.
Port Minister V N Vasavan on Tuesday informed the assembly that the land acquisition for the proposed rail connectivity project linking the port and Balaramapuram railway station is in the final stages. The minister highlighted that the land acquisition process is underway to acquire 4.6 hectares of land in three villages -- Balaramapuram, Pallichal and Athiyannoor. Meanwhile, the intersection scheme proposal for linking the port road to NH-66 has been submitted for approval to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The proposed railway line connecting the Balaramapuram station of the Southern Railway to the port is 10.7-km-long, of which 9.43km will be an underground tunnel due to geological conditions. Vasavan said the construction work will begin once the cabinet approves the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.
The state government has also submitted different proposals to the Union government under various central schemes, including PM Gati Shakti, Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment, Sagarmala and Rail Sagarmala to secure funds.
Following studies by multiple agencies for establishing a rail link between Vizhinjam International Port and the nearest Southern Railway station, in 2018, the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the DPR.
Following this, in 2019, the DPR was submitted to the Southern Railway for approval. In 2022, the Southern Railway approved the DPR and the Ministry of Environment granted the approval on July 17, 2024.