A New Era for Kerala: High-Speed Rail Revolution

Kerala's political landscape positively responds to the announcement of a proposed high-speed rail corridor by 'Metroman' E Sreedharan. The Congress-led UDF, despite opposing a prior rail project, acknowledged the potential benefits of the new proposal. Both opposition and ruling parties anticipate the project's developmental and economic impacts on the state.

Both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition and the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala have shown support for the newly proposed high-speed rail corridor. Details of the project were revealed by E Sreedharan, also known as 'Metroman', who emphasized the benefits to the state.

The Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, clarified that while the UDF opposed the earlier SilverLine project due to financial and environmental concerns, it is not against the concept of a high-speed corridor. Satheesan expressed the need for a well-prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) that could help explore alternative solutions.

The proposed rail line is expected to significantly reduce travel times between major cities in Kerala, with completion targeted within five years and an estimated cost between Rs 86,000 crore to Rs one lakh crore. State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman reiterated the importance of moving past mere announcements and ensuring tangible project implementation.