The proposed elevated railway corridor from Chengannur to Pampa, the base station of the Sabarimala temple, is likely to raise the red flag for the Sabari Railway Project that was sanctioned 25 years ago.
Sources said Railways had recently invited a tender to hold a techno-economic feasibility study (TEFS) for the Chengannur-Pampa rapid rail transit project. If the new project is found feasible, the Southern Railway is most likely to abandon the 116-km Angamaly-Sabarimala project, which was sanctioned in 1997-98. The initial estimate for the Sabari project was ₹550 crore and it was later revised to ₹3,448 crore.
Technocrat E. Sreedharan said there was no need to pursue the old project which was opposed by the local people in 2007 because of alignment issues. On the cost factor, he said the current estimated project cost of the Sabari project, ₹3,448 crore, was not realistic. Its cost would come to at least ₹10,000 crore on completion, said Mr. Sreedharan.
