Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan on Saturday said his party and the United Democratic Front (UDF) were not against any high-speed rail project, provided it was environmentally sustainable and financially viable for Kerala.
Commenting on the ongoing debate between the state government, which is pushing for a regional rapid transit system (RRTS), and technocrat E. Sreedharan, who is championing the high-speed rail project, Mr. Satheesan said that Kerala requires a faster solution to mobility and infrastructure development should continue.
“We are not against any high speed rail project and it should come. But there should be proper environmental studies and it should be financially viable for Kerala,” Mr Satheesan told reporters here.
He said his party would have no objection to such a project even if it was brought forward by the Center or the state government.
“The RRTS project was announced at the end of the government’s term, just before leaving office. It was announced even without a preliminary study. But we will support every good project,” he said.
Mr. Satheesan said the opposition opposed the K-Rail (SilverLine) project only after studying its detailed project report (DPR). “We realized that it would cause an environmental disaster in Kerala and ruin the state financially. That’s why we protested against it,” he said.
He said the party was not against the high-speed rail project proposed by Mr. Sreedharan as it required more detailed studies.
Published – 31 Jan 2026 20:38 IST
