New Delhi: To augment and improve the railway network in Kerala, the following surveys have been sanctioned by the Ministry of Railways to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a higher-speed potential of 160 kmph.
They are Shoranur-Mangalore 3rd & 4th Line (307 km), Coimbatore-Shoranur 3rd& 4th line (99 km), Shoranur – Ernakulam 3rd Line (106 km), Ernakulam-Kayankulam 3rd line via Kottayam (115 km), Kayankulam-Thiruvanathapuram 3rd Line (105 km), Thiruvanathapuram-Nagercoil 3rd Line (71 km) and Turavur-Ambalappuzha Doubling (46 km).
According to the press release, after firming up of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), sanctioning of the project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals, viz., appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance, etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has been advised by the the Ministry of Railways to revise the DPR of the State Government’s Silverline project in line with latest technical standards, such as adoption of broad gauge for integration with the Indian Railways network, flatter ruling gradient, proper drainage scheme for yards and sections, provision of Kavach, 2×25 kV electrification and taking environmental safeguards during construction & operation and integration with existing rail network etc.