The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will provide consultancy services and conduct a pre-feasibility study for the proposed 550-km high-speed rail corridor linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.
Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) Managing Director Alkesh Sharma and DMRC Director (Works) Mangu Singh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard here on Tuesday in the presence of DMRC Chief E. Sreedharan.
The State had been holding talks with DMRC regarding the high-speed rail corridor project as it wanted to utilise the services of Mr. Sreedharan, sources said.
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The DMRC is the consultant for almost all upcoming Metro systems in the country, including those in Bangalore, Chennai and Jaipur.
The State government's proposal to build a Metro network in the commercial city of Kochi is pending with the Centre.
DMRC plans to engage experts from Japan, who had been associated with bullet trains, during the study, DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said.
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As per the MoU, the DMRC will provide its consultancy for conducting a pre-feasibility study for the establishment of this rail corridor.
While the traffic study report should be submitted within three months from the date of the agreement, the draft pre-feasibility report can take five months and the final report will be submitted in six months from the date of the signing of the agreement.
Total cost
The total cost of preparing the report will be Rs.10 crore, the spokesperson said. Trains are expected to run at a speed of about 275-300 km per hour on this standard gauge (1,435 mm) high-speed corridor.
Initially, eight stations are planned.
These are, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Calicut, Kannur and Kasaragod. Three more stations at Chengannur, Tirur and Thalassery may also be added in future. The average distance between these stations will be 70 to 80 km.