Title - New feasibility survey for Nilambur-Nanjangud rly line

MALAPPURAM: The latest survey of the proposed Nilambur-Nanjangud rail line will focus on the importance of the line as a freight traffic corridor bypassing Konkan rail route. The railways had recently sanctioned a new survey for the proposed Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line. A team of officials visited Nilambur four days ago in connection with it.

The team collected data regarding freight traffic through Nilambur-Gudalur route after visiting KSRTC bus stand, sales tax check post, and RTA check posts in Nilambur.

A letter of the deputy chief operations manager, railways, George John says it is essential to conduct a study of the freight traffic through the Kozhikode-Wayanad and Nilambur-Gudalur route to prepare the updated survey report.

The demand for the Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line is more than 100-years-old. The first proposal for this line was presented in the budget of the People's Council of Mysore in 1881. After that, various surveys had been conducted but to no avail.

As per the preliminary survey the total expenditure of the proposed railway line from Nanjangud to Nilambur was estimated at about Rs 1,742 crore. But this proposal was cancelled later on the grounds that this line would not be profitable.

Following pressure from various parts, the railways had granted sanction for the railway line, in-principle during the term of E Ahammed as minister of state for railways. And later it was estimated that Rs 4,000 crore would be the total cost of the project. Since then, the project has been progressing at a snail's pace mainly due to assessment that the line would not be profitable with passenger trains.

But it is learnt that the latest survey will highlight the importance of the line as a freight traffic corridor between Kochi and Mysore and it will also act as bypass for Konkan rail line route.

The Malabar Chamber of Commerce and Cochin Chamber of commerce have decided to pressurize the railways to get final nod for the project. Both will submit a letter pointing out the importance of the line to the state government .

The new survey will focus on the importance of the stretch as a freight traffic corridor bypassing Konkan rail route