THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-touted Sabari rail project will be implemented soon, state Railway Minister V Abdurahiman told the assembly. He said the Indian Railway has requested the state government to prepare a revised estimate of the project.
“We will give the estimate soon. Once it is provided, issues regarding land acquisition will be discussed at the local level. In the second phase, extension of the project to Punalur will be considered.With Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail) now overseeing the reassessment of the existing project plan, preparatory work has started. The state will bear 50% of the total cost (Rs 2,815.62 crore as per the estimate in 2017) of the 116-km rail line from Angamaly to Azhutha,” he said.
He said new high-speed trains will not be allowed on the state railway lines. “The Railways has promised that the state’s demand for new trains will be considered after the completion of track doubling work. Existing signals may be replaced with new ones. Railways has stipulated that the stop limit for high-speed trains, including Jan Shatabdi, should not be less than 60km. Therefore, no more stops are allowed,” he said.
Abdurahiman said the railway authorities have informed the government that ticket counters at stations will be restored in phases. “It said platform ticket price was hiked to avoid congestion on platforms amid Covid. It has been reported that this will change. The season ticket issue will be discussed with the Railway Board,” said Abdurahiman.
Land acquisition for SilverLine project
State Railway Minister V Abdurahiman said the land acquisition for the SilverLine project will be over soon. “Negative campaigns are being carried out without studying the exact details of the project. It will not harm environment. The Environment Impact Assessment report will be released once the procedures are completed,” he said.
“Some are spreading the news that land will be acquired up to a width of 100m in the Malabar region. They aim to create confusion among people. Land acquisition is limited to 20m width, he said.