Kerala Enlists Metro Man for New Rail Project

12 Feb 2025 CW Team

To assess the feasibility of this new proposal, a delegation led by KM Abraham, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Transport Secretary Biju Prabhakar, held informal discussions with renowned engineer E Sreedharan, widely known as Metro Man of India, at his residence in Ponnani.

Earlier, Sreedharan had met with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, offering his expertise for the project. The proposed rail corridor, which is planned to run on elevated tracks and through tunnels, is designed to reduce the need for large-scale land acquisition. The 430 km stretch will feature 15 stations, spaced approximately 25 to 30 km apart, with trains reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h.

Sreedharan has consistently argued that the SilverLine project, which would require extensive land acquisition and displace many residents, is not feasible. He recommended that the Kerala government entrust the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this new route to either the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) or Indian Railways.

The Kerala government is keen to move ahead with the project, provided it receives approval from the Centre for conducting a survey and establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). Consultations with the central government have already begun.

Sreedharan pointed out that the new project would benefit both long- and short-distance travellers. He also emphasised that adding third and fourth tracks or straightening existing curves for speed increases were not feasible due to the current railway infrastructure, and operating passenger and freight trains on the same tracks posed safety concerns.

The final alignment for this new track will be determined separately from the earlier proposed Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur high-speed corridor in DMRC's DPR.

While the proposed SilverLine semi-high-speed rail corridor along the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod route remains stalled, the Kerala government is now considering an alternative project for a similar rail system on a standard-gauge track connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur (430 km). To assess the feasibility of this new proposal, a delegation led by KM Abraham, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Transport Secretary Biju Prabhakar, held informal discussions with renowned engineer E Sreedharan, widely known as Metro Man of India, at his residence in Ponnani. Earlier, Sreedharan had met with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, offering his expertise for the project. The proposed rail corridor, which is planned to run on elevated tracks and through tunnels, is designed to reduce the need for large-scale land acquisition. The 430 km stretch will feature 15 stations, spaced approximately 25 to 30 km apart, with trains reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h. Sreedharan has consistently argued that the SilverLine project, which would require extensive land acquisition and displace many residents, is not feasible. He recommended that the Kerala government entrust the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this new route to either the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) or Indian Railways. The Kerala government is keen to move ahead with the project, provided it receives approval from the Centre for conducting a survey and establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). Consultations with the central government have already begun. Sreedharan pointed out that the new project would benefit both long- and short-distance travellers. He also emphasised that adding third and fourth tracks or straightening existing curves for speed increases were not feasible due to the current railway infrastructure, and operating passenger and freight trains on the same tracks posed safety concerns. The final alignment for this new track will be determined separately from the earlier proposed Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur high-speed corridor in DMRC's DPR.

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

Infrastructure Urban

13 Oct 2025

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

Technology

13 Oct 2025

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..