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Former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chief E Sreedharan, popularly known as 'Metro Man', expressed confidence that the Kerala government would approve the high-speed rail project. Speaking at the fourth Integrated Civil Engineers Council (ICEC) Engineer's Summit in Angamaly on Tuesday, he said he had also proposed extending the rail line to Wayanad.
High-Speed Rail Extension to Wayanad
Sreedharan said the high-speed rail project is necessary for Kerala. According to him, the rail line could be extended to Kasaragod, Wayanad and Palakkad in the second and third phases.
He said the project would cover nearly two-thirds of Kerala and provide a faster and cheaper mode of transport within the state. According to Sreedharan, it could boost industrial development and social facilities while reducing road accidents, potentially saving five to seven lives every day.
Responding to questions raised by the expert committee, Sreedharan said the committee had suggested revising the project to fit the state government's multi-transit model. However, he said such a change was not possible because the project had been designed specifically for passenger traffic.
He also said recommendations to operate freight trains on the line could not be implemented as the Commission of Railway Safety would not approve them. Freight trains in India operate on broad gauge. If broad gauge were used, the axle load would have to increase to 25 tonnes from 15 tonnes for standard gauge. Since the proposed line would be fully elevated and supported by pillars, Sreedharan said civil construction costs could be reduced by 30% compared with broad gauge.
Regarding the proposal to connect ports, he said it would not be viable as it would go against the project's main purpose of providing a standalone high-speed passenger service to ease travel in Kerala.
On environmental concerns, Sreedharan said some impact was expected during any construction project. However, he said the elevated structure would minimise the impact and described the project as completely green. He also said the power supply would be supported by solar power.
The expert committee had also suggested commercialising the stations. Sreedharan said this would require additional infrastructure and land acquisition. However, he said provision had already been made for commercial establishments at the proposed high-speed rail station in Thiruvananthapuram.
Sreedharan said the project would significantly reduce road traffic. A journey from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram, which currently takes 12 to 14 hours by road, would be reduced to 3 hours and 30 minutes by high-speed rail, which is less than one-third of the time taken by Southern Railway trains, while a Vande Bharat train takes 6 hours and 48 minutes.
He added that at least 70% of Southern Railway passengers travelling between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur are expected to shift to the high-speed rail. This could free up eight to nine train paths on Southern Railway routes, allowing more inter-state or freight trains to operate. He also said many road users along the route could shift to high-speed rail because of the significant savings in travel time and travel costs.