Kerala, 15 July (H.LThe Kerala government has decided not to proceed with the proposed high-speed rail corridor in its present form and will take a final decision only after conducting further detailed studies, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Tuesday.

Announcing the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said an expert committee appointed by the government had recommended against moving ahead with the project based on the preliminary report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), headed by renowned engineer E. Sreedharan.

According to the Chief Minister, the government had constituted an interim expert panel comprising a financial expert, a railway expert and an environmental specialist to examine the DMRC report. The panel also included the Transport Secretary and the Chief Minister's Officer on Special Duty (OSD).

The committee concluded that the report was incomplete and did not provide sufficient data to justify implementation of the project. It pointed out that there was no comprehensive assessment of passenger demand, financial viability or environmental impact, making it premature to move forward with the proposal.

Based on the committee's recommendations, the government has decided not to initiate any preliminary steps, including land surveys, notifications for land acquisition or other preparatory procedures, at this stage.

The Chief Minister said the panel had cautioned the government against repeating the mistakes made during the K-Rail (SilverLine) project, where major concerns were raised before detailed feasibility and environmental studies were completed.

The expert committee has recommended that the government undertake additional studies on projected passenger traffic, environmental impact, land availability and the integration of the proposed corridor with existing and future transport networks, including metro rail systems, ports and inland waterways.

It also observed that a passenger-only high-speed rail system, without freight operations, could face serious revenue and financial sustainability challenges. The government should therefore examine alternative models and assess long-term economic viability before taking a final call.

The Chief Minister said the Cabinet would study the expert committee's report in detail before deciding the future course of action on the ambitious rail project.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman