THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the uncertainty over the high-speed rail corridor and the absence of any such proposal for Kerala in the Union Budget, the state government seems to be charting its own alternative plan. The government has issued an order granting in-principle approval for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), a 583 km high-speed rail corridor stretching from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
Estimated to cost Rs 1,92,780 crore — three times that of the proposed SilverLine project — the RRTS is expected to be completed in 12 years, though the final figure will depend on the detailed project report (DPR). The government will now approach the Union government to secure mandatory clearances.
The cabinet had already approved the RRTS project. According to the transport department’s order, the first phase (Travancore Line) will cover 284km between Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, with construction targeted for the 2027-33 period.
RRTS to be integrated with metro network
The project will be executed in four phases, eventually extending to Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod, with provisions for future interstate expansion to Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, and Mangaluru.
Although the state government insists that the SilverLine project has not been shelved, the order acknowledged that it could not progress due to technical objections and local protests. The new proposal comes after the Centre remained non-committal on the high-speed railway project, an alternative to SilverLine, supported by Metroman E Sreedharan.
The government stressed that a high-speed transit system is crucial for the state’s socio-economic growth, given its dense population and unique geography. Unlike the embankment model proposed earlier, the RRTS will largely be built on elevated viaducts, reducing land acquisition, preventing obstruction of natural water flow, and addressing public opposition that stalled the SilverLine project.
The RRTS will be integrated with existing and proposed metro networks in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode, creating a unified multi-modal transit system aimed at reducing reliance on private vehicles and improving last-mile connectivity. The funding model is expected to follow the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor, with 20% contributions each from the state and Union governments and the remaining 60% financed through long-term international loans.