Kerala’s new government has formed a committee to study “Metro Man” E. Sreedharan’s recommendations for the solar-powered Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur High Speed Rail (KHSR) corridor, which will replace the previous Left government’s proposed SilverLine or K. Rail project.
The four-member committee will examine the route proposed by Sreedharan — the celebrated public transport expert behind the Delhi Metro — and suggest any necessary modifications before the final approval is given. The panel has three weeks to hand in its report, Friday’s order said.
Sreedharan, 93, had suggested the KHSR as an alternative to the then Left chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s pet SilverLine project, which would have displaced 10,000 families across the state through land acquisition.
Sreedharan had opened an office for the KHSR project in his hometown Ponnani, in Malappuram district, just ahead of the April Kerala Assembly elections. This project involves less displacement since it relies on elevated and underground routes.
However, Vijayan didn’t commit anything on the KHSR project. Eventually, the Congress-led United Democratic Front government, which assumed charge last month, cancelled the SilverLine project over the widespread protests against the proposed land acquisition.
Sreedharan was huddled with new chief minister V.D. Satheesan at the secretariat on May 29 and presented an interim report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on the KHSR project.
The two-line, 473.2km, standard-gauge corridor will connect Thiruvananthapuram City (Poojapura) to Kannur (Mundayad), cutting the travel time to 3 hours and 30 minutes. The Vande Bharat Express now takes 6 hours and 30 minutes.
The line, which will have 23 stations, will be fully elevated except for a 6.5km tunnel under Thiruvananthapuram City. It will connect all four Kerala airports except Kannur, which will be linked through a 10km road.
Sreedharan’s office has estimated the project cost at ₹60,000 crore, of which ₹36,000 crore will be met through equity contributions by the Centre and the state at a 51:49 ratio.
The Kerala government proposes to raise the remaining ₹24,000 crore through crowdfunding.
The four-member committee will be convened by the secretary, transport (railways), and include railway expert J. Vinayan, finance expert C. Veeramani, and environmental expert Sridhar Radhakrishnan.
Bureaucrat N.S.K. Umesh, the officer on special duty to the chief minister, will assist the committee.