Protests are taking place across Kerala against SilverLine, a semi high-speed railway project that envisages trains running at 200 km/h between the state’s northern and southern ends.

What is the SilverLine project?

• The proposed 529.45-km line will link Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in the north, covering 11 districts through 11 stations.
• KRDCL, or K-Rail, is a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry of Railways created to execute this project.
• The deadline for the project, being executed by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), is 2025.

Features of the Project

• The project will have trains of electric multiple unit (EMU) type, each with preferably nine cars extendable to 12.
• A nine-car rake can seat a maximum of 675 passengers in business and standard class settings.
• The trains can run at a maximum speed of 220 km/hr on a standard gauge track, completing journeys in either direction in fewer than four hours.
• At every 500 metres, there will be under-passages with service roads.

Need for the SilverLine project

• Time saving: On the existing network, it now takes 12 hours. Once the project is completed, one can travel from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in less than four hours at 200 km/hr.
• Old infrastructure: Existing railway infrastructure in Kerala cannot meet the demands of the future.
• Terrain limitations: Most trains run at an average speed of 45 km/hr due to a lot of curves and bends on the existing stretch.
• De-trafficking: The project can take a significant load of traffic off the existing stretch and make travel faster for commuters, which in turn will reduce congestion on roads and help reduce accidents.
• Others: The project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help in expansion of Ro-Ro services, produce employment opportunities, integrate airports and IT corridors, and enable faster development of cities it passes through.

Present status of the Project

Ans. Land acquisition is underway

• The state government has begun the process of land acquisition after the cabinet approved it this year.
• As part of the first stage of acquisition, local revenue and K-Rail officials are on the ground, demarcating land and placing boundary stones.
• This is done to give the officials a sense of how much private land will have to be acquired and the number of families who will be displaced.

Issues with the Project

• Political rhetoric: All political parties have been spearheading separate protests.
• Huge capital requirement: They argue that the project was an “astronomical scam in the making” and would sink the state further into debt.
• Displacement of families: The project was financially unviable and would lead to the displacement of over 30,000 families.
• Ecological damage: It would cause great environmental harm as its route cuts through precious wetlands, paddy fields and hills.
• Flood hazard: The building of embankments on either side of the major portion of the line will block natural drainage and cause floods during heavy rains.

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now