The government has decided to go ahead with preparation
of detailed project report for the High Speed Rail Corridor connecting
Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod trains speeding more than 200 kilometres
an hour.
Though there were apprehensions about the
feasibility of the project, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which
conducted the feasibility study, has given a positive report.
The
all party meeting, convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on
Monday, agreed with the government, in principle, on going ahead with
the project and preparation of the detailed project report. The meeting
was told that a loan could be raised from Japan International
Cooperation Agency for the project. The loan would carry an interest of
1.5 per cent (payable in Yen).
The Opposition sought
details of the feasibility report and the Chief Minister agreed to make
an executive summary available within ten days. Opposition Leader V. S.
Achuthanandan, who was among leaders of various political parties who
attended the meeting, queried the government about the interest rate on
the loan.
The project is to take off by April next
year and fully commissioned by March 2020. Each train running along the
route will have eight coaches (six motorised coaches and two trailers
attached to the motorised coaches at both ends). They could carry 817
passengers per trip. The total cost of the project will be about
1,18,000 crore on completion, Chairman and Managing Director of Kerala
High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd T. Balakrishnan said.
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