Lok Sabha Question No. 199 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-07
Subject: Angamaly Sabari Railway Project
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Anto  Antony, Suresh Kodikunnil, Dean Kuriakose, Behanan Benny

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 199 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2022

## ANGAMALY SABARI RAILWAY PROJECT

199. SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH: ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE: SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of works, implementation and stage of approval of AngamalySabarimala railway project of Southern Railway;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  intending  to  fully  allocate  necessary  funds  for  the completion of the project or proposes a cost sharing model between Government of Kerala and Ministry of Railways, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government  has received  a  revised  project  proposal  after  the  final location survey from the Government of Kerala, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government of Kerala can restart the land acquisition in the Social Impact  Assessment  study  completed  areas  of  this  project,  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (e) whether the Hon'ble Prime Minister has included this project in PRAGATI Scheme on 26th October, 2016;
- (f) if so, whether the said railway line is likely to have the necessary infrastructure to run the Vande Bharat Express trains;
- (g) if so, the details thereof; and
- (h) whether the Railways plans to expand the project from Azutha to Thiruvananthapuram  via  Pathanamthitta  and  Punalur  thereby  connecting  it  with Kollam-Shenkotta railway line, which will provide railway connectivity from Tamil Nadu to Sabarimala, if so, the details in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (h): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (h) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 199 BY SHRI ANTO ANTONY, SHRI KODIKUNNIL  SURESH, ADV.  DEAN  KURIAKOSE  AND  SHRI  BENNY BEHANAN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 07.12.2022  REGARDING ANGAMALY SABARI RAILWAY PROJECT

(a)  to  (d):    Angamali-Sabarimala  new  line  (116  Km)  was  sanctioned  in 1997-98 at a cost of ` 550 crore. Work on Angamali-Kaladi (7 Km) and long lead works on Kaladi-Perumbavoor (10 Km) have been taken up. However, further works on this project could not be taken forward due to protests by local people against land acquisition and fixing of alignment of the line, court  cases  filed  against  the  project  and  inadequate  support  from  the State Government of Kerala.

After  long  persuasion,  Government  of  Kerala  vide  letter  dated 07.01.2021 has conveyed their decision to share 50% of the total project cost  ( ` 2815  crore)  of  Angamali  -  Sabarimala  Railway  project  through Kerala  Infrastructure  Investment  Fund  Board  (KIIFB),  subject  to  the condition that operation and maintenance of the track shall be done by Ministry of Railways while the stations along the route  will be developed by  a  Special  Purpose  Vehicle  (SPV)  (through  public  private  partnership route) and the net revenue realized by the SPV will be shared on a 50:50 basis between State Government and Ministry of Railways, after offsetting the cost of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) as agreed to by Railways. M/s Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has been advised on  20.07.2021  to  complete  Final  Location  Survey  and  to  update  the project cost.

Accordingly, M/s KRDCL completed the Final Location Survey (FLS) and has prepared the Detailed Estimate (DE) of the full project.

(e) to (g) :  Angamali-Erumeli  new  Railway  line  project  has  already  been included in PRAGATI projects. All newly sanctioned projects are designed with  track  infrastructure  capable  to  run  all  existing  trains  of  Indian Railway network including Vande Bharat Express train.

(h): Survey for a new line between Erumeli and Thiruvananthapuram via Pathanamthitta and Punalur was completed in 2013. The project could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections as per survey reports.

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