Angamaly-Sabari Rail Line Project to Commence Land Acquisition by July, Confirms Minister Abdurahiman
New Delhi: The long-awaited Angamaly-Sabari rail line, a project desired by Kerala’s eastern regions for decades, is set to become a reality. Minister V. Abdurahiman announced that a decision to this effect has been reached during discussions with the Central Government.
“A central expert team will arrive in Kerala in the coming days. Following a meeting, work will officially commence, starting with land acquisition,” Minister Abdurahiman told reporters. “In principle, it has been agreed in discussions with the Centre that work will begin by July itself. The government will take the necessary steps to expedite the Sabari rail line. K-Rail was not discussed; other issues were the focus of the talks.”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is currently in Delhi for discussions with the Central Government regarding various projects, including the semi-high-speed rail project. The decision concerning the Angamaly-Sabari rail line was made during the Chief Minister’s meeting with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
An alternative proposal put forward by E. Sreedharan, which prioritizes elevated tracks and tunnels to minimize land acquisition as a substitute for the state government’s SilverLine project, is currently before the Centre. The objective of the Chief Minister’s meeting was to bring this matter to the attention of the Union Minister and expedite action. Kerala can only proceed with the SilverLine project once central approval is obtained, and numerous issues currently hinder its progress.
Kerala’s strategy is to revise the Detailed Project Report (DPR) in collaboration with E. Sreedharan and DMRC, should the Centre grant approval for his alternative. The state anticipates that a reduced scale of land acquisition will also lead to diminished public opposition to the project.
In a separate development, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to meet Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss the issue of the collapsed national highway section.