Kerala's New UDF Government Scraps K-Rail Semi-High-Speed Railway Project, Land Acquisition Denotified
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday, May 20, cancelled the K-Rail (SilverLine) semi-high-speed railway project from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod. The cabinet meeting decided to scrap the project, which was proposed by the previous Left Democratic Front administration.
The new Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government under VD Satheesan said the cabinet has decided to scrap the proposed rail project and revoke all notifications related to land acquisition for the corridor.
The chief minister added that the government would also recommend withdrawal of criminal cases registered against protesters who had opposed the project, subject to court approval.
The proposed project was hailed for it sharply reduces travel time from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram and vise-versa. It was projected as a transformative mobility initiative of the previous LDF government, which the Congress-led UDF had opposed.
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However, the cancellation of the much politically charged project brings the much debated topic to an end. The project had also faced sustained resistance from environmental activists and residents in several districts, with critics questioning the project’s financial viability, environmental impact and land acquisition process.
