Will Kerala chunk SilverLine bullet?

Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Semi high-speed rail is a flagship venture of second Pinarayi authorities. As state strikes forward with land acquisition, critics increase questions on the feasibility of the venture. TNIE examines the professionals and cons of the venture in a 3-part sequence 

The bold semi high-speed rail venture, SilverLine, billed because the gamechanger in Kerala’s infrastructure in addition to financial progress, just lately obtained a significant push with the state authorities formally giving the nod for land acquisition. The venture envisages travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod protecting 11 districts and 11 stations in lower than 4 hours (at a velocity of 200 km/h) by way of a devoted railway hall. At current, it’s going to take greater than 12 hours to cowl the identical distance by way of the prevailing rail community.

The fiercest advocate for the venture is the Kerala authorities itself. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan personally treats this as a flagship venture that the LDF authorities desires to reward to the state. The feasibility examine carried out for the venture estimates that 79,934 individuals are anticipated to journey per day by way of the semi high-speed rail each day by 2025-26 when the venture is anticipated to be launched and it will enhance to 1,58,946 in 2052-53.

The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited which is executing the SilverLine venture estimated the venture value at Rs 63,941 crore, whereas, as per present market pattern, at the least Rs 1.3 lakh crore is required to finish the venture.Critics proper from the start have flayed the visitors projections made by the company, alleging that the visitors projection was exaggerated and much from actuality.

“The Covid situation has changed our social order in a big way. Contrary to the pre-Covid era, there is no need for a person to come all the way to Thiruvananthapuram secretariat from Kasaragod to get an official work done in the normal circumstances as almost all services are now available online or would be available online soon,” stated Ravisankar Ok V, social activist and journalist. 

“The new digital world requires less travel for various purposes and virtual presence would be enough for job-related meetings and other programmes in future. The big question is whether the traffic projection made by the authorities in pre-Covid era would be right in the post-Covid world,” he stated.

The authorities declare that by way of the operationalisation of semi high-speed trains powered by renewable vitality, the state can scale back the CO2 emission in a yr by 2,87,994 tonnes can also be challenged by the critics. By 2030, the Union authorities goals to make India a 100% electric-vehicle nation. If not 100 per cent, at the least 50% of autos will likely be run by electrical energy by 2030, significantly bringing down CO2 emission. Hence, SilverLine received’t have that added benefit when it materialises.

The Indian Railways is now operating Gatiman Express from New Delhi to Jhansi at a velocity of 160 kmph and it has already introduced that every one specific trains within the nation will likely be operated at a velocity of 150 kmph by 2025.

“If normal trains are available at a speed of 150km/h at least 10 years later, whether the middle class people will be ready be to travel in the semi high-peed train which runs at an average speed of 180 km/h, at a ticket rate 10 times higher than the normal train fare,” requested M T Thomas, environmental activist.

Ajith Kumar V, MD of KRDCL, stated it was not a simple activity for enhancing the velocity of current trains. “The Indian Railways has to fix 626 curves in varying degrees on existing lines to allow normal trains to run at enhanced speed. On the traffic projections made in the post-Covid era, he said nobody can predict what will happen after a certain period and we cannot stall existing infra projects thinking that the world will come to standstill in future.” 

STATE ESTIMATES 79,934 PERSONS TO TRAVEL EACH DAYThe fiercest advocate for the venture is the state authorities itself. CM Pinarayi Vijayan personally treats this as a flagship venture that the LDF authorities desires to reward to the state. The feasibility examine carried out for the venture estimates that 79,934 individuals are anticipated to journey per day by 2025-26 when the venture is anticipated to be launched.

VITAL STATS

529.45km route size Max operational velocity: 200km/h Rs 63,941 cr estimated costStations: Kochuveli in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kochi airport, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and KasaragodEight of the stations are positioned on the outskirts of the cities which is able to lead to creation of recent city areas and contribute to growthTravel Time: 4 hours from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod. To journey 100km, 30 to 45 minutes are neededPassenger capability per practice: 675 (9 coaches)Daily Ridership: 79,934 in 2025–26 (together with airport journeys, further journeys on account of introduction of metropolis feeder sevices) growing to 1,58,946 (together with further journeys) by 2052–53Train operation: 37 providers by 2025 with peak headway of 20 minutes, growing to 65 in 2052 with peak headway of 10 minutes

VALUE-ADDED FEATURES

Rail line can be utilized for items transport too as vans and lorries could be carried on Ro-Ro amenitiesThe rail line will likely be built-in with T’Puram and Kochi worldwide airports within the subsequent phaseIt will even join with IT parks like Technopark and InfoparkIt will assist scale back highway accidents substantiallyIt will function on inexperienced vitality, mitigate noise and assist scale back air pollution on roads