On the eve of the State Budget and the Union Budget scheduled to be tabled on Sunday, Kerala’s rail infrastructure sector is hopeful of a favourable outcome. Expectations are high, particularly in the context of the proposed defreezing of the long-pending Sabari rail project and the Guruvayur–Thirunavaya rail line, as sought by the State government. There is also anticipation that the Union Budget will provide clarity on the future of the proposed semi-high-speed rail project connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.
Although the estimated cost of the Angamaly–Erumely Sabari rail line project was revised to ₹3,800.93 crore in 2023, no funds were sanctioned for land acquisition as the project remained in a frozen state. Additionally, the annual allocation of around ₹100 crore for the Sabari project, along with the ₹45 crore announced for the Guruvayur–Thirunavaya line in the previous Union Budget, either remained unutilised or was diverted to other projects due to the lack of consensus between the State and the Centre over funding modalities.
The proposed semi-high-speed rail project remains the State’s most keenly awaited announcement. Although noted technocrat E. Sreedharan recently stated that the Union government was inclined to accord sanction to the project based on a revised proposal prepared in consultation with the State government, no formal announcement has been made so far by Union Ministers or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is despite the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Thiruvananthapuram to flag off four trains allocated to Kerala.
Revised project
Typically, capital-intensive infrastructure projects such as high-speed or semi-high-speed rail corridors are announced by the Prime Minister. The revised project, estimated at around ₹1 lakh crore, envisages a Central contribution of approximately ₹30,000 crore, an equal share by the State, and the remaining 40% to be raised through financing. Speaking to The Hindu, a senior railway official said, “We do not believe the Central government will treat this as a purely bureaucratic matter and leave the announcement to officials, especially when the Prime Minister personally flags off Vande Bharat trains across the country.”
However, the official acknowledged that discussions were recently held between Mr. Sreedharan and the Union Railway Ministry. “If the Centre is serious about implementing the project, the Union Budget should provide clarity on its prospects,” the official said.
The semi-high-speed rail project—now referred to as a high-speed rail project by Mr. Sreedharan—envisages trains operating at speeds of up to 200 kmph in a dedicated corridor, with stations at intervals of 25 to 30 km. Compared to the State government’s earlier semi-high-speed proposal, nearly 70% of the revised alignment suggested by Mr. Sreedharan would run on elevated viaducts, while about 20% would pass through tunnels, with minor alignment modifications.
Meanwhile, the Centre is also considering the construction of third and fourth railway lines running north–south across Kerala, with a speed potential of 160 kmph, in view of the successful commercial operations at the Vizhinjam International Seaport. Officials said the Union Budget is expected to offer final clarity on these major rail infrastructure proposals.
Published – January 28, 2026 07:57 pm IST
