The Kerala government presented its budget on Thursday, setting aside Rs 100 crore for preliminary work on a new Regional Rapid Transit System linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod. The proposed project has been positioned as an alternative to the long-delayed Silver Line.
Interestingly, the government’s shift towards an elevated and underground model marks a clear vindication for E. Sreedharan. For months, the Metro Man had repeatedly pointed out flaws in the original SilverLine project, but his views were largely ignored by the administration – until now.
On Friday, Sreedharan said he was unhappy with the delays and frequent policy changes by the Kerala government on the high-speed rail project. Speaking at a press conference in Malappuram, he clarified that his proposal was always for a high-speed rail corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur and rejected claims that he was responsible for stopping the project.
Sreedharan said the idea of a high-speed rail line was first taken up by the CPM. A feasibility study conducted by Japanese experts in 2010 had concluded that such a project was possible in Kerala and would be accepted by the public. Based on this report, he submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in 2016. However, the state government later withdrew from the plan citing high costs and instead moved ahead with the K-Rail project, according to a report by Mathrubhumi.
He said he repeatedly highlighted technical and practical problems in the K-Rail project by writing to the Chief Minister at different stages. As public opposition grew and issues such as hardships to people and police lathi charges came up, it became clear that K-Rail would not move forward. At that point, he again wrote to the Chief Minister, who later invited him for discussions and expressed satisfaction with his suggestions.
Discussions with CM yield no action
Sreedharan said he had asked the Chief Minister to formally inform the Union Railway Ministry about the change in the project. The Chief Secretary and IAS officer Biju Prabhakar also met him for discussions. However, despite agreeing to send the letter, the state government took no action even after 10 months, he alleged.
Because of this delay, he said he personally met the Union Railway Minister to explain the importance of the project. He pointed out that around Rs 100 crore had already been spent on studies for K-Rail without any result, while preparing a DPR for the new high-speed rail project would cost only about Rs 12 crore. Since most of the required data is already available, he suggested that DMRC carry out the study, which could be completed in eight to nine months.
High-speed rail more suitable for Kerala, says Sreedharan
Sreedharan said high-speed rail is far more suitable for Kerala than the rapid rail project announced by the state government, as there is a big difference in speed. While high-speed trains can run at average speeds of over 200 kmph, rapid rail would run at only around 70–75 kmph.
If implemented, the project would reduce traffic on roads, lower the number of road accident deaths, cut carbon emissions and save travel time, he said. Since railways come under the Union government, the project could move ahead in line with the Centre’s stand even without the state’s cooperation. He added that the funding model proposes 30 per cent each from the Centre and the state, with the remaining 40 per cent to be raised through bonds.