KOCHI: If things work out as per the latest plan, the Angamaly-Sabari rail line will be constructed with facilities to operate Vande Bharat trains. In that regard, the Southern Railway (SR) has asked the state government to submit a revised estimate for the project along with a letter on construction cost sharing.
According to the Sabari Railway Action Council Federation, the SR has returned the revised estimate for the Angamaly-Sabari project prepared by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDC) to the state transport secretary, seeking an estimate incorporating facilities required for the Vande Bharat service. KRDC’s re-submission of a revised estimate of Rs 3,810 crore was approved by SR’s finance department in November.
“The Southern Railway has informed the state government that it will give the revised estimate to the Railway Board along with a new letter from the Kerala government regarding the sharing of the construction cost,” the federation said.
The first phase of the Angamaly-Sabari railway will benefit people in Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam districts, around 540 rubber wood processing and plywood units in Perumbavoor, rice processing units in Kalady, and pineapple farmers and traders. Through the project, Kerala will get 15 new railway stations in the first phase. Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts will also benefit when the line is extended to Vizhinjam in the second phase. Once the Angamaly-Vizhinjam Sabari Rail is fully commissioned, the state will have 25 new railway stations and a rail line parallel to the existing network.
Sanctioned in 1997
When the project was sanctioned in 1997, there was no state share. In 2012, a seven-km line, Kalady station and a one-km-long Periyar Bridge were constructed, said Jijo P, of the Sabari Railway Action Council Federation.
“When the railway funds were withdrawn, the Kerala government issued an order to bear half the cost in 2015,” he said. In 2019, the Centre froze the project after the state government cancelled the order to share the cost of construction.
“In the 2021 state budget, Rs 2,000 crore was allocated for the project. The Railways tasked KRDC with preparing revised estimates. After submitting the revised estimate of Rs 3,400 crore, the CM wrote to the railway minister, asking him to bear half the construction cost of the project and to approve the revised estimate as soon as possible,” Jijo added.