Lok Sabha Question No. 4797 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-29
Subject: Angamaly-Sabari Railway Line Project
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan, Anto  Antony, Dean Kuriakose, Hibi Eden

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4797 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.03.2023

## ANGAMALY-SABARI RAILWAY LINE PROJECT

## 4797. SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE:

SHRI HIBI EDEN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) the status of approval for the revised estimate of Angamaly-Erumeli, Sabari railway line project in Kerala;
- (b) whether  the  Railways  proposes  to  defreeze  the  project  since  Kerala Government has informed to share the cost of the said project, allocated fund in the State budget and KRDCL has submitted the revised estimate;
- (c) if so, whether KRDCL, a Joint Venture Company of Ministry of Railways and Government of Kerala is likely to implement Angamaly-Sabari railway line project;
- (d) if so, the time by which Railways is likely to inform the State Government about the implementing agency of this project;
- (e) whether the Railways is likely to include this project in PM Gati Shakti and extend this line up to Thiruvananthapuram, if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether the Railways has given letter to the State Government to restart land acquisition for the project, if so, the details in this regard; and
- (g) whether the said railway line is likely to have the necessary infrastructure to run the Vande Bharat express trains, if so, the details in this regard?

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (g) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  4797  BY  SHRI  THOMAS  CHAZHIKADAN,  SHRI  ANTO ANTONY, ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE AND SHRI HIBI EDEN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 29.03.2023  REGARDING ANGAMALY-SABARI RAILWAY LINE PROJECT

(a) to (g):  Angamali-Sabarimala new line (116 Km) was sanctioned in 199798.  Work  on  Angamali-Kaladi  (7  Km)  and  long  lead  works  on  KaladiPerumbavoor (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.  Land acquisition process will restart after Detailed Estimate is sanctioned.

Presently,  this  project  is  not  included  under  PM  Gati  Shakti.  It  has already  been  reviewed  on  PRAGATI  platform.  Survey  for  a  new  line between Erumeli and Thiruvananthapuram via Pathanamthitta and Punalur was completed in 2013-14. The project could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections as per survey report.

All newly sanctioned projects are designed with track infrastructure capable  to  run  all  existing  trains  of  Indian  Railway  network  including Vande Bharat Express train.

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