THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the Centre formally rejected the state’s ambitious and long-pending SilverLine project, the Kerala cabinet on Wednesday gave in-principle approval for a 583-km Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod. The move signals a renewed attempt by the state to secure approval for a high-speed rail.
The state cabinet has decided to formally inform its interest in the RRTS model to the Centre and has assigned the transport department to do the consultations. After securing the in-principle approval from the Centre, the state plans to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and finalise the technical, financial and funding structure for further approval from the cabinet.
The project also envisions a unified multimodal transport network, integrating with the existing Kochi Metro and the proposed metro systems in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, improving last-mile connectivity and reducing dependence on private vehicles.
The state intends to follow the Delhi RRTS funding pattern - 20% state share, 20% central share and 60% through long-term loans from international financial institutions. The project will be executed in phases, but with parallel timelines to reduce overall completion time.
The first phase, the 284-km Travancore Line from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur, along with the Thiruvananthapuram Metro and integration with Kochi Metro, is proposed to begin construction in 2027 and be completed by 2033.
The second phase will extend from Thrissur to Kozhikode along the Malabar Line, alongside the Kozhikode Metro. The third phase will connect Kozhikode to Kannur, and the final phase from Kannur to Kasaragod.
The move comes after the SilverLine project failed to secure clearance from Indian Railways, with the Centre formally turning down the proposal citing technical and procedural concerns. The Detailed Project Report submitted by Kerala had remained pending for long, and the conditions suggested by Railways were found to be incompatible with the state’s vision of a time-bound high-speed rail corridor. Without Railways’ approval, the project could not proceed.
Positioning RRTS as a more feasible and socially acceptable alternative, the government pointed to the successful implementation of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation. Capable of speeds between 160 and 180 kmph, with fewer station intervals and high passenger capacity, the fully grade-separated system is considered suitable for Kerala’s dense settlement pattern. The system can be built predominantly on elevated viaducts, significantly reducing land acquisition.
Unlike the embankment model proposed in SilverLine, the RRTS alignment in Kerala is planned mainly on pillars, with embankments and tunnels only where necessary. This is expected to address major environmental and social concerns, including obstruction to natural water flow and large-scale land acquisition, which had triggered public protests in parts of the state during the SilverLine discussions.
State to repay loans of landslide victims
T’Puram: With the Central Government refusing to waive the loans of the victims of the 2024 Wayanad landslides, the state government has finally decided to take the initiative. It will now repay the loans of 555 families, who were affected by the disaster. As per the decision taken by the cabinet that met on Wednesday, it was decided to repay 1,620 loans that come to the tune of D18.75 cr. The fund for the purpose will be released from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, Revenue Minister K Rajan said on Wednesday.