Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Kerala government has begun land acquisition for the Angamaly-Sabarimala railway line project. The project is expected to improve connectivity to the Sabarimala pilgrimage route and strengthen rail infrastructure in the region. The railway project in Kerala falls under the administrative jurisdiction of Southern Railway (SR) zone.
In a written statement in the Lok Sabha on July 22, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: “Now, on the request of Govt. of India, the Govt. of Keralam has initiated land acquisition proceedings and the Angamaly-Sabarimala new line project has moved forward. The Ministry of Railways is following up the land acquisition process with Govt. of Keralam.”
Of the 302 hectares of land required, 25 hectares have been acquired. Vaishnaw added that the Ministry of Railways has allocated Rs 505 crore for the Angamaly-Sabarimala railway project in FY 2026-27.
The 111-km-long Angamaly-Sabarimala via Erumeli new rail line project was approved in 1997-98. The Union Minister said that the work on the 7-kmlong Angamali-Kaladi section and long lead works on the 10-km Kaladi-Perumbavoor section had been taken up. However, the project could not move forward due to protests by people over land acquisition and the rail alignment, court cases, and inadequate support from the Kerala government.
