VD Satheesan govt scraps SilverLine semi-high-speed rail: All you need to know about the controversial K-Rail project

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday said that the cabinet has decided to denotify the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail, bringing an end to one of the most ambitious and controversial infrastructure projects of the previous LDF government. SilverLine project denotified "In today's Cabinet, we have decided to denotify the SilverLine project. The acquisition process will be denotified. We have asked the Revenue Department to remove all boundary signals for acquiring this land," the Chief Minister said. According to the Kerala CM, the SilverLine proposal on grounds of feasibility and environmental impact. "We are not against the high-speed rail project. We oppose the SilverLine project because it was an environmental disaster. It was not economically viable. There wasn't even a detailed project report," he said. "During monsoons, it would have turned into an environmental disaster. It was not a sustainable project," he added. He said the UDF concluded that the project was unviable after discussions with experts. The CM also said that the government would recommend the withdrawal of all cases related to protests against the project. What was SilverLine corridor? The 530-km SilverLine corridor, planned to connect Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, was mooted in 2019 by the previous LDF government as a semi-high-speed rail network. Once operationalised, it was expected to reduce travel time between the two districts at the two ends of the state to just four hours. Why if faced opposition? However, the project faced sustained public protests, political opposition and legal hurdles over land acquisition and displacement concerns. The alignment required the acquisition of over 1,200 hectares of land and was projected to displace around 10,000 families, triggering widespread resistance across the state. The project, estimated to cost over ₹63,000 crore, also faced questions over financial viability and dependence on international loans, along with delays in securing central approvals. The project was to be undertaken by K-Rail (Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited), a joint venture company between the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Kerala. Despite its potential to revolutionise rail travel in Kerala, the SilverLine project failed to attain the necessary clearances from the Ministry of Railways. Critics also argued that the SilverLine project, which would also pass through densely populated areas, would displace over 10,000 to 30,000 families across Kerala. K-Rail SilverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samiti, a citizens' group, led the protests against SilverLine, which often led to violent clashes with the Police, and thousands of criminal cases were filed against the demonstrators. The Congress and the BJP had also supported the protests. What protesters said Welcoming the Kerala government’s announcement, S Rajeevan, general convener of the K-Rail SilverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samiti, said it marked the culmination of a seven-year struggle. "We are extremely happy because we have been fighting against this project for the last seven years. In Kerala's history, there has never been another issue where police were deployed from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, and people were dealt with in such a harsh manner. This is a resounding victory for the agitation we carried out against it," Rajeevan told ANI.