The Kerala Cabinet has decided to put on hold the high-speed rail project proposed by ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), on the recommendation of an expert committee which pointed out the lack of detailed environmental and social impact studies.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Chief Minister V D Sathisan said the government-appointed committee, which includes experts from the railways, finance and environment sectors, found the DMRC’s proposal “incomplete” as it lacks details on the estimated passenger capacity and social and environmental impact of the project.
“The expert committee concluded that the high-speed rail project should not go ahead in its current form. The project proposal has not been substantiated by social or environmental impact studies. Given Kerala’s financial constraints, lack of information on passenger capacity or financial feasibility, the committee recommended not to take preliminary steps on land acquisition or conduct land surveys,” Sathisan said.
The Prime Minister said that the United Democratic Front had opposed the K-Rail project of the previous Left Democratic Front government due to its environmental impact and lack of financial viability. “We want to ensure that the mistakes made on K-Rail are not repeated here,” he said.
The DMRC proposal also did not address freight movement and logistics along the proposed high-speed rail corridor, Sathisan said. At the same time, the state government wants to boost logistics through major port and aviation projects by improving rail connectivity and reducing pressure on roads and national highways, he said.
He said that the expert committee recommended that the state conduct its own studies on freight movement, alternative transportation models, land availability for such mega projects, and integration of metro, inland waterways, and transportation systems linked to ports.
“If such studies indicate the need for such a high-speed rail project, only then should further steps be taken on preparing a detailed report on the project, as suggested by the committee,” the Prime Minister said.
DMRC and Sreedharan have proposed a high-speed rail corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, reducing the travel time between the two cities to about 3.5 hours. The proposal envisions the creation of a corridor linking the four international airports in the state. At present, the Vande Bharat Express, the fastest train on the route, takes around seven hours to cover the distance.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) government, after taking office in May, canceled the Korean Railway Project, a flagship initiative of the previous LDF government. The Union government also refused to approve the project.
