THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter dated December 6, 2021, to sanction the Silver Line project of the state. The Silver Line semi-high-speed rail is to operate from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod and will greatly benefit the state and the nation, stated CM Vijayan in his letter.
In his letter, CM Vijayan stated that the Government of Kerala has agreed to meet the entire cost of land acquisition worth Rs 13,700 crore. CM Vijayan has also affirmed that any liability arising due to the default in external debt obligation, undertaken by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited, will be met by the state government. He added that the project was discussed in July 2021, with Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Government of India.
The letter was drafted after a plea was moved in Kerala High Court stating that the state government is carrying out the land acquisition process for the Silver Line project without sanction from the Centre or any other competent authority. The project is expected to decrease the travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod to around two hours.