Veteran technocrat E. Sreedharan is pushing for his proposed high-speed rail corridor for Kerala. (File) | Photo credit: KK MUSTAFAH
Veteran technocrat and former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chairman E. Sreedharan is pushing ahead with his proposed high-speed rail corridor between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur despite doubts about its feasibility.
Mr. Sreedharan launched a public awareness campaign here on Monday outlining the potential benefits of the project. However, the initiative attracted attention as neither the state nor the Union government showed interest in its continuation. The center has not yet supported or rejected the proposal.
The state government and ruling parties have also kept their distance from the plan, partly because Mr Sreedharan positioned it as an alternative to the state’s K-Rail project, which has since been shelved.
The state government also remains at odds with him after he legally challenged the proposed Bharatapuzha bridge connecting Tavanur and Tirunavaya citing religious concerns.
Speaking in Malappuram, Mr. Sreedharan said he would continue campaigns to create awareness about the project across the state. “If implemented, it will be of great benefit to the people. The line can be extended to Mangaluru and further to Mumbai. One could travel from Mangaluru to Mumbai in six hours,” he said.
Less than ₹1,00,000
Originally estimated at ₹1,00,000 crore, the project was revised to ₹56,500 crore and could be completed in five years, he said, adding that the cost would be less than the ₹63,941 crore K-Rail project.
Mr. Sreedharan said the Kerala High Speed Rail (KHSR) project will reduce traffic congestion, reduce pollution and fuel consumption and improve connectivity across the state. The journey between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur would take about three hours and 20 minutes.
The proposed corridor, connecting airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur, would run 445 km on elevated tracks and about 20 km underground. At the Malappuram event, a small crowd demanded that the line include a station in the city.
Mr. Sreedharan said the network could be extended to Kasaragod, Kalpetta and Palakkad later. The trains would travel at a maximum speed of 180 km/h with an average commercial speed of 140 km/h.
He proposed a Centre-State joint venture with 51 per cent and 49 per cent shares on the lines of the Konkan Railway. Of the total cost, 70 percent would be borne by governments and the remaining 30 percent would be raised through debt or bonds. Under this model, the Centre’s share would be ₹20,171 crore and the State’s ₹19,380 crore.
Published – 9 March 2026 20:39 IST
