Ernakulam: A day after union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Silver-line project can be taken forward if its technical and environmental concerns are addressed, the Indian railways is all set to introduce new conditions for approving Kerala’s Silver Line semi-high-speed rail project, requiring modifications, including changes in track gauge and alignment.
“We have to check the changes in track gauge and alignment and check the feasibility on whether it will work in the current conditions. The financial liability that will incur once the changes are made are also to be studied. If all parameters are working, then with the support of the government we can take it forward”, said a senior official in the Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDCL).
The Railway Board is expected to send a formal letter to the Southern Railway and the state government soon. The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) authorities have stated that they will respond only after receiving the official correspondence. Earlier, a similar letter was issued to Kerala by the Railways, and the KRDCL has submitted a detailed reply following a joint inspection of the railway land identified for the project.
As per sources, the Railways’ broader plan is to allocate tracks for the high-speed Vande Bharat Express and goods trains while reserving existing lines for slower services. If a speed track allowing 180 km/h is constructed, the Vande Bharat trains can cover the 587 km from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in just 3.5 hours. Although there is a huge demand for Vande Bharat trains in Kerala, adding more and operating them along with the slower services is impractical due to the limited track capacity.
“Silver-line is essential for the future. The center has approved to the letter send by the state government in principle”, said Minister V Abdul Rahman to the media.
Conditions laid by Railways
a) The proposed Silver Line tracks should be upgraded to a broad gauge rather than a standard gauge.
b) Allocation of land for Silver Line will only be considered after reserving space for the third and fourth tracks planned by the Railways.
c) Silver Line tracks should run parallel alongside only one side of the existing railway tracks.
d) The Silver-line track should include interchanging facilities with existing railway tracks at regular intervals.
e) Permission for Vande Bharat and freight trains to operate on Silver Line tracks.
