The story so far: The high-speed rail proposals in Kerala have once again snowballed into a controversy in the public sphere, with the Kerala government, in its latest move, approving a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) for high-speed rail travel within the State, from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod. The Kerala government, which had earlier submitted a semi-high-speed rail project (SilverLine), has now switched to the new RRTS due to the alleged “indifference” of the Centre towards the State’s demands. In the meantime, technocrat E. Sreedharan has claimed that he has been working on a high-speed rail project for Kerala with the blessing of the Union Railway Ministry, a claim that was confirmed by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, though the latter has not provided the details of the Central project.
What is the new RRTS project, and will it serve the purpose of high-speed rail travel for Kerala?
RRTS is a viable and acceptable high-speed rail system, which has been successfully implemented in the Delhi-Meerut corridor, demonstrating its feasibility in India, including its integration with the Meerut Metro. The main highlight of RRTS is that it can be integrated with the existing and proposed metro rail projects in Kerala to improve last-mile connectivity and reduce reliance on private vehicles, along with linking airports. Specially designed train sets can be operated through the corridor at a speed of 160-180 kmph, with short station intervals.
The new project will also reduce environmental impact, as most of it will be built on pillars, with embankments and tunnels used only where necessary. In contrast, the SilverLine project was primarily designed as an embankment model (at ground level), which faced significant public criticism in densely populated areas. The viaduct model of the RRTS will significantly reduce land acquisition, prevent the obstruction of natural water flow, and mitigate public opposition witnessed in certain areas.
Will this serve as a unified multi-modal transit system?
The RRTS is proposed to be integrated with urban metro projects. By enabling integration with the existing Kochi Metro and envisioned metros in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, last-mile connectivity will be improved. Further, four existing international airports in Kerala will also be linked with the project, creating a unified multi-modal transit system. The project can be extended to Coimbatore via Palakkad, to Kanyakumari from Thiruvananthapuram, and Mangaluru from Kasaragod through interState cooperation.
What is the construction plan?
Kerala has conceived the project for a total length of 583 km, from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, in four phases. Phase 1 will see the construction of a 284-km stretch, christened the Travancore Line (Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur), with the integration of Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi Metros, with a targeted completion by 2033. This will be followed by Phase 2 (Malabar Line, from Thrissur to Kozhikode, along with Kozhikode Metro), Phase 3 (Kannur Line from Kozhikode to Kannur), and Phase 4 Kasaragod Line (from Kannur to Kasaragod). Through the parallel phased execution, a complete Statewide RRTS network (including Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Metros) can be completed within about 10 years (by 2036), according to Kerala government sources.
What is the total estimated cost, and how will it be funded?
The project is estimated to cost approximately ₹1,92,780 crore. However, the final cost can only be determined upon completion of the detailed project report (DPR) after finalising alignments, technical models, signaling systems, and transit-oriented development (TOD) models. The funding model of the Delhi RRTS would be adopted for this too, with a funding pattern of 20% by the State government, 20% by the Central government, and 60% via long-term loans from international financial institutions.
What are the major differences between RRTS project, high-speed rail project envisioned by E. Sreedharan, and previously conceived SilverLine by Kerala?
Normally, a high-speed rail system is designed for sustained cruise speed with very few intermediate stops, while the RRTS train sets are optimised for fast acceleration and braking with more intermediate stops compared to high-speed ones, which can also tolerate curves to some extent and are suited for urban transportation. In Kerala, both the high-speed rail proposed by Mr. Sreedharan, with 22 intermediate stops, and the SilverLine projects, with 14 stops, were conceived for speeds of up to 200 kmph, while the RRTS is planned to operate at a speed range of 160-180 kmph.
However, the cost of RRTS will be significantly high as it requires more land in urban areas as part of metro integration. On the other hand, the cost of SilverLine was estimated at ₹63,941 crore (as per the 2019 estimate) and ₹1 lakh crore for the high-speed rail project. The alignment of the three projects would be the same, except for some changes for the RRTS in urban areas where it has to be designed close to the towns.
Published – February 04, 2026 03:43 pm IST
