THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major boost to rail infrastructure, the Southern Railway has initiated steps for the proposed third railway line along the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil stretch. The Railways has floated tenders for final location surveys, detailed field studies and preparation of technical documents for the project.
The proposal for a third railway line comes even as doubling works on the existing single-line section are progressing. Southern Railway had earlier allocated nearly Rs 1,000 crore for the doubling project on this route.
The corridor witnesses heavy passenger movement, particularly among daily commuters travelling between Kerala and Tamil Nadu for employment, education and commercial activities. The ongoing doubling works and the proposed third line are expected to ease congestion, enhance line capacity and facilitate operation of additional passenger and express trains on the route.
Two other important projects are also being taken up along with the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil third line — the Angamaly-Sabarimala new line and the Ambalapuzha-Thuravur doubling project. Together, the three projects are expected to significantly improve rail capacity, reduce congestion and enhance connectivity across Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu.
The tender for final location survey and field survey, floated by the chief engineer (Construction), Ernakulam Junction, has an estimated value of Rs 30.88 crore, and the works are to be completed within 24 months.
As part of the works, the Railways will conduct a final location survey (FLS) for the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil third line and other future doubling and new-line projects, besides detailed field surveys and preparation of drawings and documents for the Angamaly-Sabarimala new line and the Ambalapuzha-Thuravur doubling section.
The proposed works include soil investigations, photogrammetric surveys, aerial LiDAR surveys, DGPS surveys, preparation of yard plans, bridge and ROB/RUB plans, land acquisition proposals, traffic studies and preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) and EPC documents.
The tender documents indicate that the DPR and traffic study will cover the 71-km Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil stretch along with 129 km of future projects. The existing double line is heavily saturated with long-distance and express traffic. A third line could help reduce delays, improve punctuality and allow the introduction of more trains in the busy southern corridor connecting Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The Angamaly-Sabarimala new line is considered important from a pilgrimage and regional connectivity perspective. If implemented, it would provide direct rail access closer to Sabarimala for lakhs of pilgrims, reducing dependence on road transport during the pilgrimage season. It could also improve connectivity for regions in central Travancore that currently lack direct railway access.
The scope of work also includes tunnel design, bridge superstructure design and land acquisition proposals. Neighbouring districts such as Idukki, which currently lack railway connectivity, are also expected to benefit. Similarly, the Ambalapuzha-Thuravur doubling project has been taken up for detailed survey and design works, including soil investigations, bridge studies and preparation of EPC documents.
The tender documents show that the surveys will use modern technologies, including drone-based topographical mapping, aerial photography and LiDAR scanning, to finalise technically and economically viable alignments.
Express track
The Ambalapuzha-Thuravur doubling project is expected to improve traffic movement in the busy Alappuzha coastal corridor, where trains often face delays due to line-capacity constraints. Doubling generally helps increase train frequency, reduce crossing delays and improve timetable reliability.
The Angamaly-Sabarimala line is considered important from a pilgrimage and regional connectivity perspective. If implemented, it would provide direct rail access closer to Sabarimala for lakhs of pilgrims