KOCHI (KERALA), Feb 21: The Kerala government’s ambitious SilverLine project, which was stalled following mass protests, has once again sparked hope after Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal mentioned it during his address at the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) held here.
Highlighting key infrastructure projects in the state, including the Vizhinjam deep-sea port, Goyal referred to SilverLine as a transformative semi-high-speed rail corridor that would connect Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, reducing travel time to just four hours.
“SilverLine, a semi-high-speed railway line connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, will reduce travel time to four hours,” he said.
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The proposed 530-km railway line, to be developed by K-Rail—a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways—had been stalled due to widespread public protests, opposition from political parties, and delays in securing central government approvals.
However, the project received a fresh ray of hope after Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw indicated that it could move forward if Kerala addressed technical and environmental concerns.
During his visit to Kerala last year, Vaishnaw stated that he had discussed the matter with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during their meeting in New Delhi.
Following this, officials from the Kerala Rail Development Corporation held discussions with Southern Railway authorities in December last year.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and BJP, continue to resist the project, arguing that it would lead to large-scale displacement of families and cause significant environmental damage.
Goyal’s remarks at the summit, coupled with his assurance that the Union government is committed to Kerala’s development, have rekindled discussions about the future of SilverLine. (PTI)
