With the Karnataka government not keen on the proposed Kanhangad to Kaniyoor via Panathur railway line, Southern Railway has written to the Additional Chief Secretary to Government (Infrastructure Development Department) seeking the consent of the government on financing the project.
The Railway Board had sanctioned the new broad gauge line between Kanhangad and Kaniyoor (90.50-km) via Panathur in 2014-15. The alignment traverses through Kerala and Karnataka states. Though survey work has been completed, the Karnataka government has not made any promise on cost-sharing or handing over the land free of charge to lay the tracks, the letter stated.
“As under the recent Railway Board policy, new projects would be taken up only if the state government comes forward to acquire the land and hand over to Railways either free of cost or on a cost-sharing basis of 50:50 ratio. Kerala government had agreed to share the land cost on 50:50 basis pertaining to their portion in its letter dated November 21, 2018,” the letter revealed and sought Karnataka government’s consent for sharing of project cost or donating land under its jurisdiction.
Benefits for North Kerala
The traffic and engineering survey for the proposed line was completed in 2015. The proposed route is expected to bring North Kerala nearer to Bengaluru and Mysuru. It requires assurance from Karnataka state government regarding the construction cost, sources said.
Jose Kochikunnel, a construction engineer who first mooted the idea of the railway line, said the long-pending Kanhangad-Kaniyoor line had been conceived in two phases — Kanhangad- Kaniyoor (40 km) which passes through Kerala and the rest in Karnataka. “If the railway line is materialised, then Bengaluru will be only 348 km away from Kanhangad and might take six to seven hours to reach the city.”
At present, Kanhangad-Bengaluru route either via Mangaluru or Palakkad is more than 650 km and takes nearly 12 hours of journey, which is extremely tiring for passengers, he added.
The distance to connect pilgrimage centres of Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala and tourist destination of Mysuru with North Kerala will also be reduced. The proposed project will also give a fillip to the tourism sector connecting Ranipura, Talacauvery, Subrahmanya, Bekal and other destinations, Kochikunnel added.
It will also benefit the students who want to pursue their studies in Bengaluru and will also help people in the hinterland in availing better health care facilities in Bengaluru.
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