THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Konkan Railway will begin work on the detailed project report for the rail link for the Vizhinjam seaport project soon by revisiting the alignment already submitted by the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL).
The rail link between Vizhinjam and Balaramapuram received a fillip last week with Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani assuring Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of the Railway’s support for the proposal. RVNL had already prepared an alignment for the 12-km project but had backed out citing constraints due to other assignments.
But, senior port officials said the alignment will have to be reworked as three tunnels have been included in the work due to the presence of gradients. The tunnels will constitute a major portion - about eight km - of the line. ‘’In fact, the RVNL proposal had contained a suggestion that tunnels may be considered. Konkan Railway will revisit the alignment,’’ K Jayakumar, CEO of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd, the state government company overseeing the port project, said.
The rail link is estimated to cost Rs 555 crore. VISL had inked a MoU with Konkan Railway on February 20. As per the MoU, the port will be linked to the main railway line at the Balaramapuram railway station. The government has awarded the work to the Konkan Railway at a time when the entire Phase I work of the port has hit rough weather. Shortage of rock and the damage sustained to two dredgers during the Ockhi cyclone had hit work prompting the Adani Group to write to the government saying that the deadline was likely to be overshot.
But VISL officials said the rail link needs to be completed only by May 2022. In all, 30 acres of land will be acquired for the rail link. This is expected to cost another Rs 250 crore.Discussions on the rail link project have been on for some time now, with the options swinging between Vizhinjam-Balaramapuram and Vizhinjam-Nemom.The latter proposal was later dropped in favour of Balaramapuram.
Work on DPR to begin soon
Rail link to cost B555 crore
Tunnels to be part of link
Link to be completed by May 2022