Kerala Resumes Land Acquisition for Angamaly–Sabarimala Rail Project
Thiruvananthapuram – The Government of Kerala has officially resumed the land acquisition process for the Angamaly–Sabarimala rail project, a long-pending infrastructure initiative poised to significantly improve access to one of South India's major pilgrimage destinations. The move follows a high-level meeting chaired by State Minister for Railways V. Abdurahiman, aiming to fast-track work that had remained suspended since 2021.
Initially the project is proposed in the 1997-98 Railway Budget and approved by Indian Railways in 1998 following a preliminary engineering survey in 1996, this project is expected to significantly enhance connectivity for millions of Sabarimala pilgrims.
As part of the renewed effort, previously closed land acquisition offices in Ernakulam, Idukki, and Kottayam districts will be reopened. Additional staff will be deployed to accelerate the acquisition process. Minister Abdurahiman stated that construction activities are expected to begin following the imminent visit of a central railway delegation to the project area.
The review meeting on Wednesday was attended by the District Collectors of Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Idukki, along with the Executive Director of the Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDCL) and the Chief Administrative Officer of the Railway Construction Division.
The project requires the acquisition of approximately 204 hectares of land across the three districts. In Ernakulam district, where 152 hectares are needed, 24.40 hectares had already been acquired in earlier phases.
The renewed initiative follows discussions held last week in New Delhi between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister V. Abdurahiman, and the Union Minister for Railways. A senior team from Indian Railways is expected to visit Kerala shortly, after which full-scale land acquisition and construction will commence.