4 months ago
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Close connected the heels of the Centre’s determination to see a caller high-speed obstruction corridor for Kerala, arsenic announced by technocrat E. Sreedharan recently, the State Cabinet, which met present connected Wednesday, gave in-principle support for the implementation of the 583-km Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) task from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
The Centre had earlier extended enactment to Kerala for implementing the RRTS, taxable to the submission of a elaborate task study (DPR) by the State.
As per the Cabinet decision, a ceremonial missive volition beryllium sent to the Centre expressing the State’s involvement successful the project. The Cabinet has besides tasked the Transport section with initiating the indispensable consultations.
Following discussions with the Centre, a Memorandum of Understanding would beryllium signed arsenic soon arsenic an in-principle support is received. The State projected the RRTS successful the backdrop of method objections raised by the Union Railways Ministry to the DPR of the semi-high-speed obstruction task (SilverLine) submitted by Kerala.
Citing the palmy implementation of the Delhi–Meerut RRTS corridor, the Cabinet noted that the RRTS is simply a applicable and socially acceptable high-speed obstruction strategy successful India. Operating astatine speeds of 160–180 kmph, with abbreviated presumption intervals and precocious rider capacity, the RRTS is considered suitable for Kerala.
Given the State’s precocious colonisation density and delicate topography that demands biology protection, an elevated viaduct exemplary could beryllium adopted alternatively of the embankment model. This would importantly trim onshore acquisition, debar disruption to earthy h2o flow, and assistance minimise nationalist absorption to the project.
Most of the alignment volition beryllium supported connected pillars, with embankments and tunnels utilized lone wherever necessary. The RRTS stations tin beryllium integrated with the existing Kochi Metro and the projected metro projects successful Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. The task is expected to amended last-mile connectivity and trim dependence connected backstage vehicles, thereby creating a unified, multi-modal transport web crossed the State, the gathering observed.
The Delhi RRTS task is being implemented with 20% of the task outgo financed by the State government, 20% by the Centre, and the remaining 60% done semipermanent loans from planetary fiscal institutions.
The aforesaid backing exemplary could beryllium adopted for Kerala. The task whitethorn beryllium implemented successful phases, with the archetypal signifier — the ‘Travancore Line’ from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur — besides involving the integration of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro and Kochi Metro. Work connected this 284-km-long signifier could statesman successful 2027, with completion projected by 2033.
The 2nd signifier would beryllium the Malabar Line from Thrissur to Kozhikode, on with the integration of the Kozhikode Metro. The 3rd signifier envisages the improvement of the Kannur Line from Kozhikode to Kannur, followed by the last signifier connecting Kannur to Kasaragod. Another cardinal diagnostic of the task is its imaginable aboriginal enlargement to Coimbatore via Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari, and Kasaragod to Mangaluru, successful practice with neighbouring States.
By implementing the task successful phases, the implicit RRTS web crossed Kerala, including the Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Metro corridor, could beryllium realised successful astir 12 years, the gathering opined.
