Kochi : A high-speed rail system is essential for Kerala, said Metro Man E Sreedharan, adding that, he was ready to cooperate with the project if the government so requests. High speed trains are essential for development in Kerala. Semi-high speed tracks are most suited to Kerala. This has been conveyed to State representative KV Thomas in Delhi, said E Sreedharan. After his meeting with E Sreedharan, KV Thomas told media that he would pass the communication to the government. E Sreedharan told reporters that no official discussion has been held with the govt so far.
It is not possible to cooperate with K-Rail project. Instead, we could go in for high speed rail project with more flyovers and tunnels. This would also mean there’s less of land acquisition required. Moreover, in the Centre - State agreement on 51 -49 percent, the State share of liability would be halved. We can go in for the Metro or Konkan model where the Centre and State bears half the cost and the rest is borne by the construction company, said Sreedharan.
The High Speed rail project funding could take three forms. Rs 84,000 crore for track between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur i.e. approx Rs 200 crore per km. Construction may be outsourced to Indian Railways or DMRC.
Embark maintenance and soil stabilization got K-Rail would be costly. Hence, it would be more expensive than High Speed Rail. A detailed note in this regard has been given to KV Thomas. It is hoped there will be more discussions. If there emerges alternatives, detailed plan on them could be discussed, said Sreedharan
The Chief Minister knows me and had called in for reconstruction of Palarivattom flyover, said E Sreedharan, adding that, he was read to cooperate with any project that would be useful to the government.
