Is high-speed rail feasible? Four-member panel to study E Sreedharan's alternative plan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A four-member panel has been formed to study the high-speed rail project being considered by the UDF government instead of K-Rail. The state government has appointed the panel to study the pros and cons of the alternative project submitted by Metroman E Sreedharan in detail. Sreedharan had submitted the interim report of the project to Chief Minister V D Satheesan last week.

The four-member panel will be convened by the Secretary, Transport (Railways), and comprises railway expert J Vinayan, finance expert Dr C Veeramani, and environmental expert Sridhar Radhakrishnan. He is a prominent environmentalist who had strongly opposed the K-Rail project. The committee will examine how technically and economically feasible E Sreedharan's proposals are and submit a report.

The interim report assured that the new project would not create any financial liability for the state government and that necessary arrangements would be made for it. The project proposed by E Sreedharan states that it would take just three and a half hours to reach Kannur from Thiruvananthapuram via the proposed route, which is expected to cost about Rs 60,000 crore. The UDF is considering extending this line to Kasaragod.

The project is planned to connect the airports in the state over a length of 473.2 km from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur. There will be 23 stations in various districts. In the second phase, there are plans to connect the line to areas including Wayanad. The high-speed line will pass through areas where there is currently no railway line.

The advantage of the alternative plan is that it will require less land acquisition compared to K-Rail. Different pillars and underground lines are being considered in the new plan. The directions of the K-Rail Protection Committee regarding land acquisition will also be considered.