Kozhikode: Kerala has been excluded from the Central government's mega project aimed at expanding 11,000 kilometres of railway line into a four-lane network. The Ministry of Railways is prioritising the country’s most congested rail sectors, with work either approved or under construction for nearly half the targeted distance, while Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared for the remainder.

The routes currently incorporated into the expansion include critical arterial corridors: Delhi–Mumbai (1,384 km), Delhi–Howrah (1,529 km), Howrah–Chennai (1,653 km), Delhi–Chennai (2,174 km) and Chennai–Mumbai (1,289 km). Other designated routes comprise Chennai–Nagpur (1,089 km), Mumbai–Nagpur (835 km), Delhi–Nagpur (1,092 km), Howrah–Nagpur (1,127 km) and Delhi–Guwahati (1,964 km). Together, these high-density networks handle approximately 41 per cent of total railway traffic nationwide.

Data indicates that the Delhi–Howrah line accommodates 120 passenger trains and 100 goods trains daily, while the Mumbai route manages 90 passenger and 85 freight trains per day. By comparison, train density in Kerala remains exceptionally high relative to its infrastructure. The Thrissur–Ernakulam section accommodates around 100 passenger trains daily, the Kannur–Shoranur stretch handles nearly 60, and the Ernakulam–Thiruvananthapuram line operates 64 daily passenger services.

These figures exclude short-distance local shuttles and MEMU services, as well as trains originating from major hubs like Kollam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Palakkad and Kozhikode, alongside substantial freight transport.

Despite heavy track utilisation, the Railways maintains that new services cannot be introduced without track doubling. Meanwhile, proposed plans for a third line in the state remain stalled.