Thiruvananthapuram: The Government of Kerala began land acquisition for the Angamali–Sabarimala new line after sustained follow-up by the Ministry of Railways, reviving the stalled rail project.
The Ministry of Railways said it was actively coordinating with the state government to speed up the acquisition process. Officials stated that once land acquisition progressed, execution of the Angamali–Sabarimala new line could move ahead without delay.
The project was sanctioned in 1997–98 on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis between the Centre and Kerala. However, protests over land acquisition, alignment disputes, court cases and limited state support halted progress. Due to these issues, the Railways kept the project under abeyance in September 2019.
Railway authorities updated the project cost to ₹3,801 crore and submitted the estimate to the Government of Kerala. The state conveyed conditional consent in August 2024. However, the Railways sought unconditional approval to proceed further.
State action revives Angamali–Sabarimala new line
Following this, the Minister of Railways requested the Chief Minister of Kerala to begin land acquisition using the state’s 50% share. After the request, the Kerala government initiated acquisition proceedings. As a result, the Angamali–Sabarimala new line moved forward after several years of delay.
Earlier, the Railways completed work on the 7 km Angamali–Kaladi stretch. They also took up preparatory works on the 10 km Kaladi–Perumbavoor section. To improve access to the Sabarimala shrine, the Railways surveyed an alternate Chengannur–Pamba alignment. However, officials found the proposal unviable.
The ministry also reported a sharp rise in railway funding for Kerala. Annual outlay for railway infrastructure and safety projects increased from ₹372 crore during 2009–14 to ₹3,042 crore in 2025–26. This allocation included funding for the Angamali–Sabarimala new line.
In a separate reply, the Railways said Tirur station was currently served by 90 train services. These included the Mangaluru Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express. The Railways introduced new stoppages and services in January 2026, subject to operational feasibility.
The government further informed Parliament that works were completed at 172 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. A total of 1,337 stations were identified under the scheme nationwide.
