Kerala clears ₹66,079-cr high-speed rail corridor

Kerala state cabinet has given the go-ahead to build a ₹66,079-crore semi-high speed rail corridor along a 532-km-long track connecting Kasaragod in the north to Thiruvananthapuram. To be commissioned by 2024, the mega project would be implemented by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL), a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Railways Ministry. A feasibility study carried out by Paris-based Systra has projected the internal rate of return as 5.6 percent and 8.1 percent for 30 and 50 years, respectively. As a 100% greenfield project, the high speed rail line is expected to reduce journey time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod from 12 hours to just four hours. The running time between the state capital and the commercial city of Kochi will be 90 minutes. The line will reduce congestion and pollution on roads, improve safety and reduce dependence on imported oil. The airports at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi will also be connected with the line, which will pass through 11 of the state’s 14 districts, and will have 10 stations.