Sabari railway line: Central team to visit Kerala soon

Thiruvananthapuram | The Centre has granted approval for a long-stalled railway project in Kerala, Minister V Abdurahiman said on Tuesday, paving the way for the construction of a rail line connecting Angamaly and the foothills of Sabarimala.

A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting held between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi, Abdurahiman said in a statement.

An expert team from the Centre is scheduled to arrive in Kerala the very next day, and the land acquisition process is set to begin in July itself, he added.

The length of the railway line between Angamaly and Erumeli, proposed in the 1997-98 railway budget, is 111.48 km.

"With this, a new world of rail connectivity and development is opening up for Kerala. This route will be of great help to Sabarimala pilgrims. It will also boost the economic growth of Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts," Abdurahiman, who also took part in the meeting in Delhi, said.

The Sabari railway line also has the distinction of being the first line to connect Idukki district with the railway.

The railway line, sanctioned by the Indian Railways during late 1990s, has been pending for nearly three decades.

A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in last December, had decided to seek approval from the central government for implementing the Sabari Rail Project through the Angamaly - Erumeli - Nilakkal route in an expanded manner.