The Kerala government got new interim report on Friday about a high-speed rail project that will link Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur in just three and a half hours. Technocrat E. Sreedharan submitted the proposal,which aims to create the world’s first green rail corridor.
The proposed Kerala High-Speed Railway (KHSR) will cover 473.20 kilometers,starting at Poojapura in Thiruvananthapuram and ending at Mundayad in Kannur. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) prepared the report,which has been sent to the Union Ministry of Railways and the state government.
Unlike earlier designs,this new line will be fully elevated, except for a 6.5-kilometer tunnel in Thiruvananthapuram. It will connect three airports across Kerala,leaving out the Kannur International Airport, which will be linked later.
The project will use a standard gauge,proposing an axle load of 15 tonnes, much lighter than the 25 tonnes used in broad gauge systems. This change is expected to cut both investment and operational costs. The report points out that advanced countries prefer standard gauge for high-speed rail, allowing India to keep pace with global tech and push for self-sufficiency.
Trains will run at a maximum design speed of 200 kilometers per hour,with an operational speed of 180 kilometers per hour and an average commercial speed of 140 kilometers per hour. Each train will have 12 coaches, fitting up to 800 passengers. Platforms will be built to support future expansions to 16 coaches.
The estimated cost of the project is ₹60,000 crore,with ₹36,000 crore funded as equity by the Central and State governments in a 51:49 ratio . The remaining ₹24,000 crore is expected to come from crowdfunding initiatives. The average construction cost is projected at ₹127 crore per kilometer,and the report suggests the project could wrap up within five years of getting the necessary approvals.
