Railway Board eyes Gujarat-style Broad-Gauge semi-high-speed rail for Kerala

Kottayam (Kerala): The Railway Board has directed K-Rail to examine the feasibility of implementing a Broad-Gauge (BG) semi-high-speed rail corridor in Kerala. This directive comes at a time when several other projects—including the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) requiring Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs approval, the SilverLine project awaiting Railway Board clearance, and the semi-high-speed proposal submitted by E Sreedharan—remain in limbo.

The Board has specifically suggested studying the model intended for implementation in Gujarat, which utilises Broad-Gauge tracks. K-Rail MD V Ajith Kumar confirmed that the study in the state will proceed based on this specific model.

Railway sources indicate that the Board is referring to the Sarkhej-Dholera Rail Link project in Gujarat. This is envisioned as the world’s first semi-high-speed rail line on Broad-Gauge, designed for a maximum speed of 220 km/h and an average operating speed of 160 km/h. Notably, this infrastructure would also allow for the operation of standard trains if required.

The proposed Gujarat project spans 109 kilometres as a double-line track. Meanwhile, just before the state elections, the Kerala government approved the RRTS and tasked the Transport Department with further proceedings. The Chief Minister has also written to the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs seeking approval for the same.

Regarding SilverLine, the Central Government maintains that the project cannot proceed under its current Detailed Project Report (DPR), though the state claims the Centre has not specified the necessary changes. While the Railway Minister previously praised E Sreedharan's initiatives, there is still no clarity on whether that specific plan is officially being considered.