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2 min readThiruvananthapuramUpdated: May 20, 2026 03:16 PM IST
After a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V D Satheesan announced that the SilverLine project had been cancelled. (ANI Photo)
The Congress-led UDF government Wednesday denotified the previous CPI(M) government’s Rs 64,000-crore flagship project K-Rail, also known as SilverLine.
After a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V D Satheesan announced that the SilverLine project had been cancelled.
“The cabinet decided to denotify the project. The notifications issued for land acquisition would be cancelled. The yellow poles erected to fix the alignment of the corridor will be removed. The revenue department will be given instructions in this regard. Besides, all criminal cases registered in connection with public protests against the project will be withdrawn,” he said.
The chief minister said the UDF was not against the high-speed rail project but that the project was “an environmental disaster and financially unviable”.
“UDF had studied the project and found there was not even a detailed project report. The land acquired by the government was not denotified. This has caused problems for the people living in the project area,” he said.
The semi-high-speed rail corridor, connecting Thiruvananthapuram to the northern district headquarters of Kasaragod, had faced stiff opposition from the people. The project was envisaged to reduce north-south travel time from 12 hours to less than four hours.
The project was promoted by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), a joint venture of the state government and the Rail Ministry. However, the state government could not go ahead with the project for want of support from the Railways. The Railway Board had raised concerns over how the project would affect the national transporter’s expansion plans for third and fourth lines in areas where K-Rail would run parallel to existing tracks. Subsequently, the government had to abandon its flagship project, citing a lack of backing from the Railways.
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In January this year, the CPI(M) Cabinet had given in-principle approval for a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) from the state’s southernmost district, Thiruvananthapuram, to its northernmost, Kasaragod. A letter expressing the state’s interest in an RRTS would be sent to the Union government. An MoU would be signed with the Centre once it gave in-principle approval for the project. However, the RRTS also did not make any progress.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
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