Southern Railway to hold discussion with K-Rail on Kerala's SilverLine Project

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today): The future of the SilverLine project, the Kerala government's ambitious semi-high-speed rail initiative, has been revived as the Railway Board has intervened, instructing Southern Railway officials to collaborate with the Kerala Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail) to progress with the project. Valued at a staggering Rs 63,000 crores, the SilverLine project has been in a state of limbo for almost a year due to the lack of final clearance from the Railway Ministry.

On November 1, the Railway Board directed the Southern Railway to convene a meeting with the representatives of K-Rail and provide a comprehensive response to the board. Emphasizing the urgency of the matter, F A Ahmad, the director of the Railway Board, communicated this directive to the general manager of Southern Railway.

In compliance with the directive, the Southern Railway has reached out to the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad Railway divisions to initiate discussions with K-Rail authorities. These discussions will encompass all critical aspects of the project, including land acquisition, the detailed project report, and funding arrangements.

Over the past year, the preparatory activities for the SilverLine project have been suspended, with the detailed project report remaining pending with the central government. Notably, last October, the state government halted the ongoing land acquisition survey for the project, prompting a temporary suspension of work.

The SilverLine project faced significant opposition from various quarters, including the Congress, BJP, and environmentalists, who raised objections against the project's detailed project report (DPR). The contentious land survey encountered staunch resistance, leading to considerable criticism. Despite the state government's efforts, the final clearance from the central ministry remained elusive, with the Centre citing the need for technical and financial clarifications. Consequently, the state government announced its decision to await the ministry's final clearance, withdrawing the revenue staff deployed for the special land acquisition cell.

However, efforts to revitalize the project gained momentum in July, following the appointment of E Sreedharan, popularly known as the "Metro Man," to assuage opposition to the project. In a bid to establish better communication channels with the Union government, K V Thomas, the state government's special representative in Delhi, held discussions with E Sreedharan, focusing on the project's resumption and progress.