Kerala cracks ₹56, 430-cr rail projects

Decks have been cleared for the preparation of detailed project report (DPR) of the viable projects for further development of railway corridor on a cost-sharing basis between Railways and State through Kerala Railway Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) entailing an investment of about ₹56,430 crore. The projects include the 510 km third and fourth railway line from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, 181 km railway line from Thalassery via Mananthavady to Mysuru, 12 km rail connectivity from Balaramapuram to upcoming Vizhinjam International Deepwater seaport and 125.5 km Rapid Rail Transit System from Thiruvananthapuram to Chengannur. They also include development of new terminus station at Ernakulam with commercial development, 65 km Erumeli-Punalur railway line via Pathanamthitta linking the Sabari line and the Kollam-Shencottah line and 15 km Ettumanoor-Pala linking Sabari line with Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam. International engineering and consulting groups engaged in the field of rail and urban transport alone and partnering firms in the country have come forward to prepare the DPRs for the KRDCL, a SPV to execute viable rail projects on a 51:49 cost-sharing basis. Hyderabad-based R.V. Associates and INECO of Spain, Delhi Integrated Multi-mode Transit Systems (DIMTS) and Geodata of Italy, Germany's Ramboll and PricewaterhouseCoopers and Systra of Paris are those who have responded to the expression of interest (EOI) floated by the KRDCL.