Kerala Rail Expansion Gains Pace With New DPR Work

12 Dec 2025 CW Team

Indian Railways is preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to develop more than 750 km of new railway lines across Kerala, a move aimed at enhancing train operations, boosting service frequency and strengthening the state’s overall transport capacity. For FY 2025–26, the national transporter has allocated a budget of Rs 3,042 million for Kerala.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 3 December, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that over the last three years—2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 and the current financial year—a total of nine surveys (three new lines and six doubling projects) covering 1,124 km have been sanctioned, with work already underway.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on 5 December, Vaishnaw confirmed that a DPR is being prepared for several major Kerala rail line proposals. These include:

Kasaragod–Kozhikode–Shoranur third and fourth line (261 km)

Shoranur–Ernakulam third line (106 km)

Shoranur–Coimbatore third and fourth line (99 km)

Ernakulam–Kayankulam third line (115 km)

Kayankulam–Thiruvananthapuram third line (105 km)

Thiruvananthapuram–Nagercoil third line (71 km)

Together, these projects span 757 km.

In addition, Indian Railways is undertaking several other connectivity works totalling 232 km, including:

Angamali–Sabarimala new line (111 km) at a cost of Rs 37.27 billion

Ernakulam–Kumbalam doubling (8 km) costing Rs 5.95 billion

Kumbalam–Thuravur patch doubling (16 km) at Rs 8.03 billion

Trivandrum–Kanyakumari doubling (87 km) costing Rs 37.86 billion

Shoranur–Vallathol doubling (10 km) at Rs 3.67 billion

These combined efforts form one of the most extensive rail development programmes Kerala has seen, aimed at easing congestion, improving regional mobility and supporting long-term economic growth

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