Center has announced to start 400 Vande Bharat train services in 3 years
Thiruvananthapuram:
Senior Congress leader and MP, Shashi Tharoor, who had earlier taken a supportive stand for the LDF government’s massive Silver Line rail corridor project in Kerala, has now said that the Union Budget’s announcement on the launch of 400 Vande Bharat train services in three years Might be possible. Be an option for multi-crore semi high speed initiative.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP tweeted that an interesting element for Kerala in the Union Budget 2022 was the announcement of 400 new Vande Bharat trains, which can travel at a speed of 180 kmph.
He wondered whether the central and state governments could look at Vande Bharat trains as a “cheaper and more energy-efficient alternative” to the Silver Line.
He also said it could allay Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s call for faster train travel to boost development and ease Congress’ concerns about his own party, land acquisition and environmental impact.
“Bringing Vande Bharat trains to Kerala may address Vijayanpinarai’s concern for faster train travel to boost development, and reduce @INCKerala’s concerns about land acquisition and environmental impact. Government of India And GOK should discuss the outcome of victory in the interests of the state,” Mr Tharoor further tweeted.
He later told reporters that he was not sure if the budget announcement for Vande Bharat train services would materialize, but the state and central governments should discuss its possibilities and thus end the ongoing controversy about the project.
Pointing out that the Centre’s approval for the Silver Line project is still pending, Shashi Tharoor also said that development is not the controversy but what everyone needs for the state.
Mr Vijayan on Tuesday slammed the Center for not including the southern state’s proposal for the construction of a semi-high speed railway line in the Union Budget, for which his government has already taken steps to acquire land.
State Finance Minister KN Balagopal also criticized the Center for not considering the state’s demand for budgetary allocation for the project.
He said that the State Government has started the project with the hope that the Center will provide necessary assistance to transform the transport system of the State as per the needs of modern times.
However, opposition Congress and BJP welcomed the Centre’s decision and urged the state government to pull out of the project citing the budget announcement to start 400 Vande Bharat train services in three years.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan urged the state government to withdraw from the Silver Line project as the Centre’s semi-high speed Vande Bharat train services will connect every corner of India, including Kerala.
He said that the Vande Bharat project to be implemented by the Indian Railways has the same features as the Silver Line project of the state government and the operational speed of Vande Bharat train is also 160 to 180 km/h.
The Silver Line project, which is expected to reduce the travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod by around four hours, is being opposed by the opposition Congress-led UDF, alleging that it was “unscientific and impractical”. And this will result in huge financial burden on the state.
The 540-km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod will be developed by K-Rail, a joint venture between the Government of Kerala and the Ministry of Railways, for the development of railway infrastructure in the southern state.
Silverline trains originating from the state capital will have halts at Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode and Kannur before reaching Kasaragod.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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