Railway line hinges on Karnataka’s nod

Thalassery-Mysuru railway line aims to link Wayanad, Kannur and Kodagu to Mysuru

The Ministry of Railways will consider the proposed Thalassery-Mysuru railway line via Mananthavady only if the Karnataka government also agrees to the mega project that aims to link Wayanad, Kannur and Kodagu to Mysuru.

Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited, a joint venture of the State government and the Ministry of Railways, had found the new line from Thalassery to Piriyapatna feasible and sought requisite approvals, Ministry of State for Railways Rajen Gohain told Parliament on Wednesday.

The total cost of the 180-km-long new line was estimated at ₹5,000 crore. However, the project had not been included in the Union Budget, he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal told the media in Bengaluru on Thursday that only the Kerala government had submitted a report on the proposal and Railways could conduct a feasibility report only if the Karnataka government gave permission for the project.

A section of people from Kodagu district had opposed the project. The Railway Ministry could take up a survey only if both Karnataka and Kerala request for the project, he said.

The proposed railway line will pass through Koothuparamba, Mananthavady, Thrissilery, Kutta, Kanoor Belale, and Thithimathi to reach Mysuru. The new route was revised after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in its report to the Kerala government earlier, said that it would not be beneficial to Kerala if Wayanad was excluded.

Previously, the government considered a project linking north Kerala to Mysuru-Bengaluru. The project, Nilambur-Nanjangund line, had been included in the Pink Book of Railways and ₹8 crore set apart for the detailed project report. The government shelved it following objections from the Karnataka Forest Department.

Meanwhile, Niligiri-Wayanad National Highway and Railway Action Committee convener T.M. Rasheed alleged that the State government had sabotaged the Nilambur-Nanjangund railway project as DMRC Principal Adviser E. Sreedharan did not succumb to the vested interests of some people.