Kerala Rail Development Corporation

Kerala Rail Development Corporation d/b/a K-Rail (stylized as K-rail) is a public sector joint venture company under the ownership of the Government of Kerala and the Ministry of Railways for the railway infrastructure development in Kerala.[1] The company was incorporated on 3 January 2017.[2]

The K-Rail is focused on the planning and implementation of rail line projects including surveys and preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR). K-Rail is also involved in procuring requisite approvals and does processing for the sanctioning of identified Projects.

Kerala Rail Development Corporation

Trade name	K-Rail
Native name	കേരള റെയിൽ ഡെവലപ്പ്മെന്റ് കോർപ്പറേഷൻ
Type	Public Sector
Industry	Rail Transport
Founded	January 3, 2017
Headquarters	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala , India
Area served	Kerala
Key people	Dr. Vishwas Mehta IAS (Chairman) V. Ajith Kumar, IRSSE (Managing Director)
Services	Passenger Railways
Owner	Government of India (50%) Government of Kerala (50%)
Website	keralarail.com

Proposed projects

1. Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargode Semi High Speed Rail Corridor

Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargod Semi High Speed Rail Corridor
Proposed stations
Thiruvananthapuram Kollam Chengannur Kottayam Ernakulam Cochin International Airport Thrissur Tirur Kozhikode Kannur Kasargode

The Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargode Semi High Speed Rail Corridor named Silver Line is a proposed high-speed rail corridor in India that would connect the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram with Kasaragod in Kerala.

Project Specifications
Project title	SilverLine (Semi High Speed Rail Corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod)
Total distance	529.45 km
Travel time	4 hours
Maximum train speed	200 km/h
Number of stations	11
Proposed project cost	₹66,079 crore (US$9.3 billion)
Tracks	2 (up & down)
Rolling stock	9 coaches initially
Expected daily ridership	79,934 passengers per day in 2025-26

Rolling Stock:

EMU type train set of 9 cars which is extendable upto 12-15 cars in future

Passenger Capacity: 675 passengers (9 car set)

Seating:  2+2 seating (Business class), 3+2 seating (Standard class)

Signalling & Communication:

ETCS Level 2 with LTE

Power Supply & Traction:

From KSEBL through Solar & other Renewable Energy

Proposed Fare: Rs. 2.75 per km in Standard Class.

Estimated  Project completion cost: Rs 63940.67 Crores

Structure of Route Length:  

Total Length	529.45 km
Structure
Viaduct	88.41 km
Tunnel	11.52 km
Cutting	101.73 km
Bank	292.72 km
Cut & Cover	24.78 km
Bridges	12.99 km

2. Thalassery – Mysore New Broad-Gauge Line

The proposed project is a broad gauge railway line interconnection between Thalassery of central Malabar region of Kerala and Mysore, the cultural capital of Karnataka. The Konkan Railway Corporation has conducted feasibility studies and estimated a budget of ₹5,000 crore (US$700 million) for the 180.46 Km out of the total 240 Km BG line.[3]

Project Specifications
Project title	Thalassery – Mysore New BG Line
Total distance	240 km
Travel time	5 hours
Maximum train speed	200 km/h
Number of stations	TBA
Proposed project cost	₹5,000 crore (US$700 million) for 180.46 Km
Tracks	TBA
Rolling stock	N/A
Expected daily ridership	N/A

3. Nilambur – Nanjangud Railway Line

The Nilambur–Nanjangud railway line also called The Golden I T Corridor or Wayanad Railway[4] is a proposed project to establish faster interconnectivity between the two states of Kerala and Karnataka through the construction of a direct short distance broad gauge line between Nilambur in the Malappuram district of Kerala and Nanjangud in Chamaraja Nagar district of Karnataka. The first proposal for such a line dates back to 1881.[5] By the successful establishment of this broad gauge line, the existing distance between Ernakulam - Mysore rail route will be reduced to 361 Km from 776 Km & Ernakulam - Banglore will be reduced to 500 Km from 637 Km. Estimated budget for this project is ₹4,000 crore (US$560 million).[6]

4. Redevelopment of Old Ernakulam Railway Station

Ernakulam Terminus Railway Station as of 2020

Ernakulam Terminus (Station Code:ERG) which is also known as the Old Majestic Railway Station is an abandoned railway station close to the High Court of Kerala in the city of Kochi. It was the first railway station to be built in Kochi, by the erstwhile Maharaja Rama Varma XV in 1902. The terminus which is situated on 42 acres of land is proposed to be renovated as a PPP model project and the budget estimated for Phase I renovation as per the DPR produced by KITCO is ₹505 crore (US$71 million).[7]

5. Sabari railway line

Sabarimala Railway is a proposed 111 kilometres (69 mi) railway line from Angamaly to Erumeli, near Sabarimala that had been sanctioned in the year 1998 by Indian Railways. According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Kerala State and the Ministry of Railways on 27 January 2016, commercially viable railway projects will be identified and handed over to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be fast-tracked on a 51:49 per cent equity basis. SPV has discussed about the extension to Punalur.[8]

See also

• Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd.
• Kochi Metro Rail Limited

References

1. "About K-Rail".
2. "Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited - K-rail | Company, Contact Details, Directors, Email id." Best Data Provider Company.
3. https://keralarail.com/projects/thalassery-mysore-new-broad-gauge-line-240kms/
4. "News Archives: The Hindu".
5. "Indian Railway News – Page 5".
6. "K-Rail Project Details".
7. https://keralarail.com/projects/redevelopment-of-abandoned-old-ernakulam-railway-station-near-high-court-as-a-major-hub-in-the-fast-developing-kochi-city/
8. Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (6 January 2021). "Kerala to share cost of Sabarimala rail project". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 February 2021.