‘Call it Raga Rail if you like, but a high-speed corridor is essential for Kerala’s development’

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader Thomas Isaac stated that a high-speed railway corridor is indispensable for the development of Kerala, and it does not matter if the UDF government renames K-Rail to achieve this. He was reacting to the UDF government's decision to scrap the K-Rail project.

"The UDF has opposed K-Rail from the very beginning. Therefore, there is no surprise in them scrapping it," Isaac said. He demanded that the UDF clarify its stance on whether a high-speed corridor is needed in the state. Isaac added that they could change the name to 'Raga Rail' if they wished.

"There must be clarity on whether such a high-speed corridor is required in Kerala. Call it Raga Rail if you like. Is it their stance that everyone in Kerala should just take their cars and drive from south to north? We must be able to shift long-distance commuters from roads to trains. To make that possible, a high-speed railway is essential. Now, if this is not wanted, they must state what the alternative is. A high-speed corridor is vital for the forward progress of Kerala's development," Isaac said.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary M V Govindan also reacted by saying that K-Rail was a project planned by envisioning Kerala's growth 25 years into the future. He added that the project had already been halted halfway earlier due to a lack of clearance from the Central Government.