‘Friends on Rail’ bats for third, fourth rail lines to address travel woes in Kerala

A third and fourth rail line parallel to the existing railway tracks in Kerala are highly imperative to resolve travel woes in the State, according to ‘Friends on Rail,’ a WhatsApp network that aids rail passengers.

The outfit has urged all the elected representatives to work collectively for the implementation of the third and fourth railway tracks. The highly capital-intensive high-speed rail project is likely to take time due to the economic and regional issues in the State.

On the other hand, a ‘third railway track’ parallel to the existing lines can be considered as an immediate solution. Since construction activities are not permitted within 35 m of the existing railway track, land acquisition would not be a major challenge in many areas. Also, it is estimated that about 70% of the new track could be laid within the railway land, which would significantly reduce the project cost, said the outfit in a statement.

Once the third parallel track is completed, premium and superfast trains will be able to achieve higher speeds, and the travel time could be reduced significantly. It would also help operate more MEMU and passenger services, which would benefit ordinary passengers and contribute to the State’s overall development. The relatively low project cost compared to that for new lines in different terrains could help avoid a stark increase in fares. Additionally, operational costs could also be reduced by utilising the existing signaling systems and railway staff, said the statement.

At present, the capacity utilisation of the railway tracks in Kerala is nearly 100%, leaving very little scope for introducing new services. Issues such as platform shortages and other issues at major stations in district headquarters can be resolved by constructing new tracks, said the statement.