Metroman Sreedharan announces revised details of proposed high-speed rail project

He also claimed that if the BJP comes to power in Kerala, work on the proposed project would begin within three months and be completed within four and a half years.

Technocrat E Sreedharan on Tuesday unveiled revised details of a proposed high-speed railway line project connecting the southern and northern parts of the state, weeks after opening an office here for the same. The revised alignment of the 465-km corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur includes Pathanamthitta district, which was not part of the earlier route plan, he told a press conference at Ponnani. Stating that it is a Government of India project, E Sreedharan, fondly called the Metroman, said that prior government sanction is not required before starting work on such projects. He also claimed that if the BJP comes to power in Kerala, work on the proposed project would begin within three months and be completed within four and a half years. ''If the BJP wins power in Kerala, I can assure you on behalf of Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP state chief) that the work will start within three months. It will be completed within four and a half years. It will then be handed over directly to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC),'' the veteran added. He said the proposed rail line will originate from Thiruvananthapuram Central and pass through an underground tunnel to the airport before proceeding to Varkala, Kollam, Kottarakkara, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla, Kottayam, Vaikom, Ernakulam, Nedumbassery, Thrissur, Pattambi, Malappuram, Karipur, Kozhikode, Koyilandy, Vadakara, Thalassery, and Kannur. The travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur is estimated at three hours and 20 minutes, he said. Of the total 465 km length, 440 km will be elevated, which is the most economical method of construction, he added. The service will connect three major airports in the state-Thiruvananthapuram, Nedumbassery, and Kannur. The estimated construction cost for the first phase of the project is Rs 56,500 crore, Sreedharan said, adding that the revised estimate has reduced costs compared to earlier projections. Proposed ticket fares have also been finalised, and they will be lower than those of the existing Vande Bharat services, he added. Sreedharan said he would send a report in this regard to the Centre by the end of April or the beginning of May. The commencement of work would depend on which government comes to power in the state. He also said that neither Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor anyone else in the state government had contacted him after he opened the office for the project. Neither the BJP-led union government nor the Left government in the state has made any statement about the high-speed project proposed by Sreedharan so far. Last month, Sreedharan said that the state can hope to see a high-speed rail network that will cut travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur to 3 hours and 15 minutes, as the Centre is expected to formally announce the project soon. A former managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the veteran technocrat said that an office for the high-speed rail project has already been established, and work on preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) commenced there on February 2. He also said that the Kerala government's proposed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod is ''not workable'' and termed it a ''foolish venture'' and an ''election stunt.'' Sreedharan said that the RRTS cannot be an alternative to a high-speed rail corridor and would be effective only for short distances of 60–70 kilometres, such as from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram.

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