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The Hindu
The Hindu
Comment
B. Ashok

EXPLAINED: A train to unite kerala | Vintage Vibes

“The project is fundamental to Kerala’s survival as a viable economic entity as the State is 92% urbanised.” (Source: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Kerala is polarised over the proposed 530 km north-south semi-high speed standard gauge rail link costing a largely borrowed ₹64,000 crore. It proposes to connect metropolitan Kochi with the rest of the State in two hours, and Kasaragode in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south in four hours, reducing the pressure on linear Kerala’s heavily choked 1,800 km highways. Kerala suffers severe traffic stress due to its undulating topography and sensitive hydrology prone to recurrent floods, higher forest cover and ecologically fragile Western Ghats.

Project positives

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