Kochi, 25 Jan (H.S.): Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan on Saturday clarified that the United Democratic Front (UDF) is not opposed to high-speed rail connectivity as a concept, but firmly against poorly designed and inadequately studied projects such as the SilverLine. Speaking to reporters in Paravur, Satheesan said Kerala certainly needs faster rail travel, but any such initiative must be grounded in sound planning, environmental safeguards, and financial viability.

“Let high-speed rail come to Kerala. The UDF never opposed fast trains. Our opposition was specifically to the SilverLine because it lacked a proper Detailed Project Report (DPR) and raised serious environmental and economic concerns,” he said. According to Satheesan, the absence of a credible DPR and environmental impact assessment made the project unacceptable, especially in a climate-vulnerable state like Kerala.

He dismissed claims that announcing a high-speed rail project ahead of elections would influence voters. “Will people vote for the BJP simply because someone says a railway will be brought in? That is not how Kerala works,” he remarked. He reiterated that any new proposal must first be subjected to rigorous scrutiny. “Let a proposal come. Let a DPR be prepared. Given climate change, environmental impact studies are non-negotiable for projects of this scale,” he added.

Criticising the SilverLine design, Satheesan questioned the feasibility of constructing embankments as high as 30 feet across Kerala’s landscape. He warned that such structures could have severe ecological and social consequences. He noted that a UDF sub-committee had conducted extensive consultations with experts before concluding that the K-Rail project was impractical, a position that now appears vindicated as the government itself has stepped back from the plan.

Satheesan stressed that the UDF would welcome any genuinely good proposal. As an alternative, he suggested straightening sharp curves between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam and building additional tracks alongside existing railway lines to enable higher speeds. “We need speed rail, and we also need infrastructure development that Kerala can sustain,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran reiterated his strong opposition to high-speed rail projects that people cannot accept, stating that the hardships caused by such projects would be immense. The debate has gained renewed attention following discussions between the Union Railway Minister and senior rail experts on the future of rail development in Kerala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman