4 months ago
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A high-speed obstruction corridor linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur is nether the progressive information of the Union government, technocrat and erstwhile Konkan Railway president E. Sreedharan has said. The project, estimated to outgo ₹1 lakh crore, is projected to beryllium completed wrong 5 years.
Mr. Sreedharan said the Centre was expected to denote the task successful 2 weeks and added that helium would pb its execution. He precocious held discussions with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw successful New Delhi. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) volition beryllium the implementing agency, helium said.
Alternative to K-Rail
The projected high-speed obstruction enactment volition service arsenic an alternate to the State government’s SilverLine (K-Rail) task promoted by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Mr. Sreedharan said that onshore acquisition would not airs a large situation for the project.
According to him, trains connected the corridor would run astatine speeds of up to 200 kmph. Travel clip from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi would beryllium astir 1 hr and 20 minutes, portion Kozhikode could beryllium reached successful two-and-a-half hours and Kannur successful 3 hours and 15 minutes.
The enactment would person 22 stations on the way and would necessitate lone one-third of the onshore needed for the SilverLine project. Nearly 70% of the corridor would beryllium elevated, with different 20% moving underground. The obstruction enactment would besides link the airports astatine Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Karipur, and Kannur.
Land acquisition
Mr. Sreedharan said lone the bare minimum onshore would beryllium acquired. Landowners would beryllium allowed to proceed cultivation activities erstwhile the pillars were constructed, though operation of buildings and planting of ample trees would not beryllium permitted. “The onshore volition beryllium returned to the owners aft the pillars are built, and they tin usage the onshore for farming,” helium said.
Stations volition beryllium located astir each 25 km. The projected stops are Thiruvananthapuram Central, Thiruvananthapuram Airport, Varkala, Kollam, Kottarakara, Adoor, Chengannur, Kottayam, Vaikom, Ernakulam, Aluva, Nedumbassery, Thrissur, Kunnamkulam, Edappal, Tirur, Karipur, Kozhikode, Koyilandy, Vadakara, Thalassery, and Kannur.
Initially, the trains volition run with 8 coaches, accommodating up to 560 passengers, with proviso to grow up to 16 coaches successful the future. The operation outgo is estimated astatine astir Rs. 200 crore per kilometre.
