Angamaly-Sabarimala Rail Line: Kerala Begins Land Acquisition, Railways Allocates Rs 505 Crore, Says Railway Minister
Thiruvananthapuram: After years of uncertainty and delay, the Angamaly-Sabari Railway Project has received a major boost, with the Kerala Government initiating land acquisition proceedings. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the state has begun the land acquisition process, paving the way for the long-pending project. Indian Railways has allocated ₹505 crore for the project in the 2026-27 financial year.
The Minister said the Kerala Government started the land acquisition process following a request from the Central Government, describing it as a significant step towards the construction of the Sabari railway line. He made the announcement in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on July 22. He also stated that the Ministry of Railways is in constant communication with the state government regarding the land acquisition process.
Angamaly-Sabari Railway Project and the Reasons for Delay
The 111-km Angamaly-Sabari railway line via Erumely was sanctioned during 1997-98. Construction of the 7-km Angamaly-Kalady section and preliminary works on the 10-km Kalady-Perumbavoor section had begun. However, the project was delayed due to protests and legal disputes related to land acquisition and railway alignment, along with inadequate support from the state government.
The Minister said the revised project cost has increased to ₹3,801 crore and that the proposal has been submitted to the Kerala Government for approval of the revised estimate and sharing of the project cost.
In August 2024, the Kerala Government gave conditional approval to the project. However, the Ministry of Railways asked the state to give unconditional consent to bear 50% of the project cost. The Railway Minister had also requested the Chief Minister to acquire the required land using the state's 50% share of the project cost.
Out of the 302 hectares of land required for the project, only 25 hectares have been acquired so far. The remaining 279 hectares are yet to be acquired.
The Angamaly-Sabari Railway Project includes 14 proposed stations: Angamaly, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Oodakkali, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Vazhakulam, Thodupuzha, Karimkunnam, Ramapuram, Bharananganam, Chemmalamattam, Kanjirappally and Erumely.
The project is expected to greatly benefit Sabarimala pilgrims and significantly improve connectivity and development across Central Keralam once completed.