With 200 curves, 236 ascents and descents, trains will not get the required speed: Alok Verma

Kottayam: The number of turns in the proposed SilverLine track is about 200. The track will have ascents and descents at 236 locations. Turns alone will make about 194.3 kilometres. Alok Kumar Verma who released the second part of his study of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) said that this makes up to 36.7 percent of the total distance of the track. There will be more turns in the SilverLine railway track than the existing Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod railway track. Alok Kumar Verma had overseen the preliminary feasibility study of the high-speed railway.

Alok Verma estimated that there will be 236 ascents and descents of the track. Technically, a model with tracks paved over hills and pits and having many turns is called a roller coaster. Even on the rail tracks found in hilly areas, there are not many ascents and descents. On such tracks, the speed is 40 to 100 kilometres per hour. Due to the ascents and descents of the SilverLine railway track, it may prove to be difficult for the train to attain the proposed speed of 200 km/hr.

There is a change in direction at certain locations of the railway track due to the ascents and descents. The overbridges, which are supported by pillars, are up to 20 metres high at a few locations. The overbridge track in Thrissur is 8.17 kilometres long. The station here is 100 metres wide. The track in Kozhikode will be a distance of 41.86 metres below ground level.

The embankment proposed to be constructed for the track at the ground level is up to 18 m high in some places. The height of the embankment varies from 8 metres to 18 metres in different locations. When passing through an embankment at the ground level, ascend and descend will prove to be a problem. Control may be imposed on speed not just on overbridges and tunnels, but also on normal ground level embankments.

The tracks may be damaged by the waves created by the train travelling at a speed of more than 160 km/hr on tracks with many ascents and descents. The track maintainence must be undertaken every 10-15 years. Damages of the track may pose safety threats, which is not ideal for cargo transport.

While preparing the Detailed Project Report for the months of April-May 2019, geological and hydrological studies were not carried out. Only Google Earth topographical data was considered. The proposed outline prepared according to that data does not correspond to the geographical realities of Kerala. The shortcomings in the report are quite evident.