High Speed Rail work to start in 2013

Work on the proposed high-speed rail corridor, extending from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangalore is expected to begin in 2013. Mr T. Balakrishnan, chairman and managing director of the Kerala High Speed Rail Corporation said that the corridor is expected to be commissioned in 2020. The trains running on the corridor will run at speeds of around 300 km per hour. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is preparing a report on the project which is expected in six months time. The project is estimated to cost Rs.1.18 lakh crore, a gigantic sum for the State. But Mr Balakrishnan expressed confidence about raising the same. ““We would be able to raise this money since NRK's and others are willing to help. The benefits would be shared by everyone,” he said. He also said that a wide range of technology from around the world was available for the project. The 580 km-long rail corridor will have a carrying capacity of 15,000 people per hour, and would traverse the length of the State in 2 hours.