Rail sector awaits Budget signals on Sabari, semi-high-speed projects

Kerala’s rail infrastructure sector is anticipating positive outcomes from the upcoming State and Union Budgets, particularly regarding the defreezing of the Sabari rail project and the Guruvayur–Thirunavaya line. The proposed semi-high-speed rail project connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur remains a key focus for the state government, with hopes that the Union Budget will provide clarity on its future. While E. Sreedharan, a noted technocrat, believes the Union government is inclined to approve the project based on a revised proposal, no formal announcement has been made by Union Ministers or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The official estimated cost of the Angamaly–Erumely Sabari rail line project was revised to ₹3,800.93 crore in 2023, but no funds were sanctioned for land acquisition due to a lack of consensus between the State and the Centre over funding modalities.