SilverLine: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to meet Railway Minister today in Delhi

New Delhi: Kerala is making fresh efforts to revive the SilverLine project, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan scheduled to meet Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday. The meeting will take place at Rail Bhavan at 12 pm.

The Chief Minister is expected to request approval for an alternative proposal put forward by ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan in connection with the project.

The SiverLine project

The SilverLine project, a semi high-speed rail corridor proposed by the Kerala government, aims to connect Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in the north, covering 529 km in around four hours. Despite promises of faster travel, reduced road congestion and economic benefits, the project has faced widespread public opposition.

Critics argue that the project would lead to large-scale displacement, environmental damage and massive financial burden on the state. Protests erupted across Kerala, with local residents, environmentalists and political opponents raising concerns about land acquisition, ecological impact and lack of transparency. The proposal invited wrath from various quarters, eventually stalling its progress.