Posing a stiff challenge to the semi-high-speed rail prospects of Kerala, Southern Railways have decided to enhance the speed of trains running through the State in a phased manner. As part of the move, Railways have reclassified routes like Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam via Alappuzha, Shoranur-Mangaluru, and Shoranur to Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, where the speed will be increased to a maximum permissible 130 kilometres per hour (km/hr).
The whole exercise will take around two years as Railways will have to undertake a slew of works, including straightening of tracks and signal systems, relaxing existing restrictions, fixing curves, and strengthening bridges. The Hindu had earlier reported that the Centre is making moves to enhance the speed of trains along the existing rail network in the State, with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, casting a shadow on the State’s government’s proposed SilverLine semi-high-speed rail corridor project, which promises to cover the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod stretch in four hours.
Nod for location survey
B. Guganesan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railways, told The Hindu that Railways had given the approval for holding a final location survey as part of enhancing the speed to 130 km/hr from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru via Alappuzha. The survey will finalise the quantum of work to be undertaken along the stretch in terms of strengthening tracks, signalling, bridges, and traction distribution work to make the section fit for attaining that speed.
Two phases
In the first phase, Railways are planning to increase the speed of trains on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam stretch via Alappuzha to 110 km/hr, on the Ernakulam-Shoranur stretch to 90 km/hr, and the Shornaur-Mangaluru stretch to 130 km/hr. In the second phase, the speed will be made uniform in all the stretches by upgrading infrastructure. The cost of the project would be known after the final location survey for which ₹35 crore has been sanctioned by Railways.
According to senior officials, there would be no major works on the Shoranur-Mangaluru and Shoranur-Palakkad stretches where 110 km/hr is already permissible. Hence, priority will be given first to the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam and Ernakulam-Shoranur stretches. In the case of the Ernakulam-Shoranur stretch, Railways have already approved the proposal to draw a third and fourth line parallel to the existing double lines.
Speed at present
At present, the average speed of trains running through the State is in the range of 55-60 km/hr, which will significantly be increased with the upgradation of the rail network, reducing the travel time markedly.
