Thiruvananthapuram: With the Centre clearing the deck for the long-pending Angamaly–Erumeli Sabari railway project, the Railway Ministry has initiated steps to expedite land acquisition.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will convene a high-level meeting on June 11 via video conference to review and accelerate the land acquisition process. District Collectors of Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki — through which the 111-kilometre line will pass — have been called to attend the meeting along with the Principal Secretary of Revenue, Land Revenue Commissioner, K-Rail Managing Director and the Railway Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) of Ernakulam.
Kerala Railways Minister V Abdurahman is also expected to participate in the meeting, as his office confirmed that the meeting is scheduled at 11 am, which will focus on completing swift land acquisition and initiating the construction without further delay.
The Centre had earlier sanctioned only partial land acquisition, resulting in just 8 km of track being completed between Angamaly and Kalady. A fresh notification has now been issued for acquiring an additional 70 km of land. Once the acquisition process is over, the construction work is expected to begin immediately.
The renewed momentum follows a recent meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Abdurahman and Vaishnaw in New Delhi, where the Centre formally approved the project.
Originally announced in the 1997–98 Railway Budget, the project was stalled due to land acquisition hurdles and concerns over cost-effectiveness. Although a Chengannur–Pampa route was proposed later, the state consistently maintained that the Angamaly–Erumeli line was more suitable for Kerala's developmental needs, particularly for connecting the hilly regions of Idukki and parts of Kottayam and Ernakulam, which currently lack railway access.
The Kerala government has assured the Centre of shouldering 50 per cent of the project cost, helping to move the proposal forward. Officials have indicated that land acquisition and track-laying may proceed in parallel.
Meanwhile, other major rail infrastructure upgrades in the state are nearing approval. These include the third and fourth lines on the Shoranur–Mangaluru and Shoranur–Kayamkulam–Thiruvananthapuram routes. The third line from Ernakulam to Shoranur has already received approval, and surveys are underway for other proposed lines.
The survey for the Ernakulam–Kayamkulam–Thiruvananthapuram third line has also started. The state has requested that the land acquisition process commence promptly after the completion of the survey. These new lines will be straighter and designed for average speeds between 100 and 160 km/h.
The state government is also optimistic that approval for the proposed Thiruvananthapuram–Nagercoil third line will be granted soon.
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