Railways Follow Up Land Acquisition for Angamali Sabarimala Line

12 Feb 2026 CW Team

The estimate for the Angamali–Sabarimala via Erumeli project was updated at Rs 38.01 billion (bn) and submitted to the Government of Kerala for acceptance and willingness to share the cost. The Railways requested unconditional consent and urged the State to acquire land using its 50 per cent share so that work can proceed. Following the request, the State has initiated land acquisition proceedings and the Ministry is following up to facilitate progress.

Tirur in Kerala is presently served by 90 train services, including the 20631/20632 Mangaluru Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express, and additional stoppages have been provided to enhance connectivity. Stoppage of the 22475/22476 Hisar–Coimbatore Express has been provided at Tirur with effect from 28 January 2026 and the 16329/16330 Nagercoil–Mangaluru Junction Amrit Bharat Express was introduced with effect from 27 January 2026. The provision of stoppages depends on traffic justification, operational feasibility including availability of extra time and matching infrastructure such as platform length.

Budget allocation for infrastructure and safety works falling fully or partly in Kerala has risen markedly, from Rs 3.72 bn per year in 2009–14 to Rs 30.42 bn in 2025–26, which represents more than eight times increase. The former amount corresponds to Rs 3.72 bn per year and the latter corresponds to Rs 30.42 bn. Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 1,337 stations have been identified for development and works have been completed at 172 stations to date, the Minister informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The Ministry of Railways said it is following up land acquisition proceedings initiated by the Government of Kerala for the Angamali–Sabarimala new line project, which had been kept under abeyance in September 2019. The project was sanctioned in 1997–98 on a 50:50 cost sharing basis and preliminary works on the Angamali–Kaladi and Kaladi–Perumbavoor sections were undertaken before progress halted amid protests over land acquisition, alignment disputes and legal cases. Survey work on an alternative Chengannur–Pamba alignment was carried out but was found not feasible. The estimate for the Angamali–Sabarimala via Erumeli project was updated at Rs 38.01 billion (bn) and submitted to the Government of Kerala for acceptance and willingness to share the cost. The Railways requested unconditional consent and urged the State to acquire land using its 50 per cent share so that work can proceed. Following the request, the State has initiated land acquisition proceedings and the Ministry is following up to facilitate progress. Tirur in Kerala is presently served by 90 train services, including the 20631/20632 Mangaluru Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express, and additional stoppages have been provided to enhance connectivity. Stoppage of the 22475/22476 Hisar–Coimbatore Express has been provided at Tirur with effect from 28 January 2026 and the 16329/16330 Nagercoil–Mangaluru Junction Amrit Bharat Express was introduced with effect from 27 January 2026. The provision of stoppages depends on traffic justification, operational feasibility including availability of extra time and matching infrastructure such as platform length. Budget allocation for infrastructure and safety works falling fully or partly in Kerala has risen markedly, from Rs 3.72 bn per year in 2009–14 to Rs 30.42 bn in 2025–26, which represents more than eight times increase. The former amount corresponds to Rs 3.72 bn per year and the latter corresponds to Rs 30.42 bn. Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 1,337 stations have been identified for development and works have been completed at 172 stations to date, the Minister informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Resources

12 Feb 2026

Hisense Opens First India Manufacturing Plant at Sri City

Hisense has inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in India at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, through a joint venture with Epack Manufacturing Technologies Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Epack Durable Limited.The 10-acre facility, developed with an investment exceeding USD 30 million, is located within Epack Durable’s industrial park at Sri City and will commence commercial production from February 2026. Once fully operational, the plant will manufacture Room Air Conditioners (RACs) exclusively for Hisense India, accounting for 100 per cent of the brand’s domestic RAC outpu..

Real Estate

12 Feb 2026

Superb Realty Launches Altura, Focuses on IAQ-Led Office Design

Superb Realty has launched Superb Altura, a mixed-use Grade A commercial development at Amar Mahal junction in the Chembur–Ghatkopar corridor, positioning indoor air quality and intelligent building systems at the centre of its design strategy amid rising pollution levels in Mumbai.The development reflects a shift in office real estate priorities, where occupiers increasingly evaluate how buildings manage health, energy efficiency and operational resilience in high-pollution urban environments. Altura integrates advanced systems that continuously monitor and optimise indoor environments, cov..

Infrastructure Transport

12 Feb 2026

CPCL Tops NHAI’s First DPR Consultant Ranking

Chaitanya Projects Consultancy (CPCL) has secured the top position in the National Highways Authority of India’s first-ever provisional DPR consultants rating, achieving a score of 80.75 out of 100. The ranking places CPCL ahead of 55 peer firms, including Pentacle Consultants (78), L&T Infrastructure Engineering (76), MSV International Technology (74), and Transys Consulting (72).The rankings, released in the fourth week of January 2026, mark NHAI’s first structured and transparent evaluation of DPR consultants to improve quality standards under Bharatmala and other national highway p..