Mega rail projects remain on paper.

Mega rail projects sanctioned to address Kerala’s industrial backwardness and the 'neglect' of the sector in the State have failed to take off years after they were announced in the Union Railway Budget.

The rail coach factory at Kanjikode, the wagon manufacturing unit at Cherthala, the Angamaly-Sabarimala railway line, a drinking water bottling plant and railway medical college in Thiruvananthapuram, and conversion of three major stations into world-class facilities are the mega projects that remain confined to paper.

In the case of the coach factory, issues such as confusion over the project implementation mode and finding a joint venture partner are yet to be resolved. Mystery prevails over why Railways rejected Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) offer of 74 per cent equity.

The State has provided 95.6 hectares to Railways for Rs. 33.70 crore, and steps are on to give another 37.1 hectares of forestland for the factory, official sources said.


THE HINDU