State requests Railways to extend Sabari rail to Vizhinjam from Erumely
The State government has requested the Railway Board to extend the proposed Angamaly-Erumely Sabari line up to Thiruvananthapuram. The rail line will be a game changer in the transport history of the State if it is extended to the Vizhinjam international seaport, linking the proposed Sabarimala international airport en route.
According to a letter sent to the Railway Board chairman, extending the line from Erumely to Vizhinjam will cost an additional ₹1,000 crore only. As per the revised project, the cost of Sabari line is pegged at ₹3,810 crore. The Railways had earlier carried out a survey for the extension of the rail project up to Thiruvananthapuram.
Although a preliminary survey was done in 2013, the project did not make any headway due to a poor rate of return projection. However, the traffic scenario in Kerala has since undergone major changes with an increase in density of vehicles and passengers.
Now, the National Highways Authority of India is planning a new highway between Angamaly and Thiruvananthapuram on a greenfield alignment almost parallel to MC Road to cater to the rising travel needs on the sector. Further, the highway project alone will not cater to the traffic demands of the State given the heavy cargo movements expected to and from the Vizhinjam seaport, which will be commissioned soon.
The rail alignment from Erumely to Balaramapuram in Thiruvananthapuram will be approximately 160 km against the road alignment of 153 km. Another important aspect of this alignment is that it will bring Nedumangad to the rail map. This will be as per the Railway’s latest norms for connecting all towns with a population of 50,000 or more to the rail map of India.
Considering that the existing rail line is oversaturated and unable to cater to the increasing traffic demands, the Centre should include this project under the Rail Sagar Scheme announced in the current year’s Union Budget and extend it to Thiruvananthapuram, says the letter drafted by Biju Prabhakar, Secretary, Transport (Railways, Metro and Aviation) department.
If there is a slight change in the alignment near Athikayam, the extension of the project to Thiruvananthapuram will provide a crucial link to the Sabarimala international airport, bringing the airport to the rail map, says the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL). It will also be the third rail corridor for the State connecting the capital with the interior locations through a central alignment, reducing the dependence on roads and the existing oversaturated rail line.
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