Thiruvananathpuram, Feb 3 (PTI) The Kerala government on Tuesday gave in-principle approval for the proposed RRTS project connecting the state capital with the northernmost district of Kasaragod.
The government order also directed the Transport Department to communicate the proposal to the Centre and “initiate necessary consultations to get mandatory clearances”.
In its order, the government said that the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) was “practical and socially acceptable” and the successful implementation of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS has demonstrated its feasibility in India.
It further said that the project, being a high-speed transit system, was vital to the state’s development and socio-economic growth.
As the RRTS can be largely implemented on elevated pillars, it can be integrated with the existing and proposed metro rail projects in the state to improve last-mile connectivity and reduce reliance on private vehicles, the government order said.
The elevated system was more appropriate for Kerala, considering its population density and the need for environmental protection, the order said.
“This will significantly reduce land acquisition, prevent obstruction of natural water flow and mitigate public opposition observed in certain areas,” it added.
Regarding the cost of the project, the government said it would be around Rs 1,92,780 crore, but the final figure “can only be determined upon completion of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), finalising alignments, technical models, signalling systems and transit-oriented development models”.
The funding pattern will be similar to that of the Delhi RRTS with the state and central government each bearing 20 per cent of the cost and the remaining 60 per cent being arranged via long-term loans from international financial institutions, the order said.
To reduce the financial burden on the state, the entire 583 kilometer-long project will be implemented in four phases with the first one being the 284 km Travancore line from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur, it said.
It will also include the integration of the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi metros with the RRTS and the construction of the line is planned to be completed between 2027 and 2033, the order said.
The second phase will be the Malabar line, from Thrissur to Kozhikode, and will include integration with the Kozhikode metro, it said.
The third and fourth phases will be the Kannur line — from Kozhikode to Kannur — and Kasaragod line from Kannur to Kasaragod, the order said.
The entire project is expected to be completed in around 12 years, it added.
The order also mentioned that the Silverline project, a proposed high-speed rail corridor between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, “has been unable to progress due to technical objections from Indian Railways” and “public protests in certain areas”. PTI HMP KH
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