Rail connectivity along one of Kerala’s busiest railway corridors is set for a major upgrade after Indian Railways approved doubling of the Mararikulam-Alappuzha section at a cost of Rs 220.51 crore. The project is expected to remove a critical bottleneck on the Ernakulam-Kayankulam route and create capacity for additional passenger and freight services.
The Ministry of Railways said the 10.65-km stretch, falling under Southern Railway, has received approval as part of efforts to strengthen network capacity and improve train operations on high-traffic routes.
“Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the 10.65 km Mararikulam – Alappuzha section of Southern Railway at a sanctioned cost of Rs 220.51 crore,” the release said.
Final single-line stretch on corridor to be doubled
The Mararikulam-Alappuzha section currently remains the only single-line segment on the Ernakulam-Kayankulam corridor. Railway officials noted that doubling works on all other sections have either been completed or are already under execution.
With the latest approval, the entire corridor moves closer to becoming a continuous double-line route, which is expected to ease operational constraints and improve train handling capacity.
“The project has been approved under the umbrella work for doubling, tripling, quadrupling, flyover and bypass works aimed at augmenting the capacity of the railway network,” the release said.
Railways estimates that the project will enable operation of nine additional passenger trains in each direction every day. It will also support freight movement of 2.88 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), helping improve logistics efficiency across the route.
Capacity boost expected for passenger and freight traffic
Apart from increasing train services, the project is expected to reduce delays caused by train crossings on the single-line section. Faster movement of both passenger and freight trains could improve punctuality and network reliability.
“The doubling work is also projected to generate additional net earnings of approximately Rs 3.08 crore annually through enhanced passenger and freight movement,” the release added.
Officials said the project will improve line capacity, strengthen regional connectivity and support smoother train operations on the corridor.
“The proposal has been identified under Mission 3000 MT and the High Density Traffic Network Corridor of Indian Railways. The project has demonstrated strong economic viability, with a Financial Internal Rate of Return (FIRR) of 3.99% and an Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) of 22.30 per cent,” the release said.
The project forms part of Indian Railways’ broader strategy to remove infrastructure bottlenecks on high-density routes and prepare the network for future growth in passenger and freight traffic.