Kerala begins land acquisition for Angamaly-Sabarimala rail line, Railways allocates Rs 505 crore

The Angamaly-Sabarimala railway line project has taken a step forward as the Kerala government initiated land acquisition, with the Ministry of Railways allocating Rs 505 crore for the project in the financial year 2026-27. The project aims to improve connectivity to the Sabarimala pilgrimage route and strengthen rail infrastructure in the region.

In a written statement in the Lok Sabha on July 22, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: “Now, on the request of Govt. of India, the Govt. of Keralam has initiated land acquisition proceedings and the Angamaly-Sabarimala new line project has moved forward. Ministry of Railways is following up the land acquisition process with Govt. of Keralam.”

The 111-km-long Angamaly-Sabarimala via Erumeli new rail line project was approved in 1997-98. Work on the 7-km Angamali-Kaladi section and long lead works on the 10-km Kaladi-Perumbavoor section had been taken up previously. However, the project faced delays due to protests over land acquisition and rail alignment, court cases, and inadequate support from the state government.

According to Vaishnaw, the estimated cost of the project was updated to Rs 3,801 crore and submitted to the Kerala government for acceptance and willingness to share costs. In August 2024, the state government gave conditional consent. The Ministry of Railways then requested unconditional consent for sharing the cost. Subsequently, the Railway Minister requested the Chief Minister of Kerala to acquire land using the state's share of 50% of the project cost.

Of the 302 hectares of land required for the project, only 25 hectares have been acquired so far, with 279 hectares still pending. The Sabari railway project will have 14 stations: Angamaly, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Odakkali, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Vazhakulam, Thodaopuzha, Karimkunnam, Ramapuram, Bharananganam, Chemmalamattom, Kanjirappally, and Erumeli.