Railways sets new conditions, alters course for Silver Line

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Railways will introduce new conditions for approving Kerala's Silver Line semi-high-speed rail project, requiring modifications, including changes in track gauge and alignment. The Railway Board is expected to send a formal letter to the Southern Railway and the state government soon.

With these changes likely to alter the foundational design and budget of the project, how the state will address these demands is still unclear. The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) authorities have stated that they will respond only after receiving the official correspondence. Earlier, a similar letter was issued to Kerala by the Railways, and the KRDCL has submitted a detailed reply following a joint inspection of the railway land identified for the project.

The Railways' broader plan is to dedicate tracks for the high-speed Vande Bharat Express and goods trains while reserving existing lines for slower services. If a speed track allowing 180 km/h is constructed, the Vande Bharat trains can cover the 587 km from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod in just 3.5 hours. Although there is a huge demand for Vande Bharat trains in Kerala, adding more and operating them along with the slower services is impractical due to the limited track capacity.

The Railway Board is still evaluating the detailed project report for Silver Line, which aims to cut travel time between Kasargod and Thiruvananthapuram to four hours at an estimated cost of Rs 63,941 crore. Commenting on the latest development, Minister for Railways V Abdurahiman has reiterated that Silver Line is essential for the state's future, noting that the Center has approved the report submitted by Kerala on the project.

Conditions by Railways
-The proposed Silver Line tracks should be upgraded to a broad gauge rather than a standard gauge.

-Allocation of land for Silver Line will only be considered after reserving space for the third and fourth tracks planned by the Railways.

-Silver Line tracks should run parallel alongside only one side of the existing railway tracks.

-The SilverLine track should include interchanging facilities with existing railway tracks at regular intervals.

-Permission for Vande Bharat and freight trains to operate on Silver Line tracks.

Land availability
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking in Thrissur on Sunday, remarked that the Silver Line project could proceed if its environmental and technical concerns are resolved. During his address, the Minister also announced several other crucial railway development projects.

These included the construction of third and fourth tracks along the Mangaluru-Shoranur and Shoranur-Coimbatore sectors, as well as a third track between Shoranur-Thiruvananthapuram and Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari. Should these expansions materialise, the Railways may not have additional land to allocate to Silver Line, as its alignment in the Malabar region runs mainly parallel to the existing tracks.

Switching Silver Line to a new alignment could necessitate restarting the project from scratch. Experts also point out that with the third and fourth tracks designed for 160 km/h speed, questions will be raised on the feasibility of additional high-speed routes as the fifth and sixth tracks.

Construction costs are expected to escalate significantly if the SilverLine project shifts to a broad gauge and requires alignment changes. Instead, a fourth track, specifically designated for faster trains, should be constructed alongside the proposed third track between Shoranur and Kanyakumari. The financial burden of this plan could be reduced significantly if the state government collaborates on the project.