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‘Metro Man’ Sreedharan: ‘Centre is silent on Kerala high speed rail as LDF govt has done RRTS stunt’

February 07, 2026 4 min read Economics Polity & Governance GS Paper II (Centre-State Relations) GS Paper III (Infrastructure)
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What Happened

  • E. Sreedharan, known as "Metro Man," accused the Kerala LDF government of proposing a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) as a deliberate ploy to derail his high-speed rail corridor plan for Kerala.
  • Sreedharan argued that RRTS is not governed by the Railway Act but falls under the Metro Act and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, making it fundamentally different from a railway project and impractical for Kerala's north-south corridor.
  • The Kerala government's state budget proposed a 583 km RRTS corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in four phases, modelled on the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor.
  • Sreedharan has opened a project office in Malappuram under the banner "Delhi Metro Rail Corporation — Kerala High Speed Railway" and stated that survey work for a high-speed rail project will begin shortly.
  • The Centre has remained silent on both proposals, having earlier refused to approve the LDF government's K-Rail SilverLine project in its original form.

Static Topic Bridges

Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)

The RRTS is a rail-based, semi-high-speed transit system designed to connect cities within a 150-300 km range, operating at speeds up to 180 km/h. India's first operational RRTS corridor is the Delhi-Meerut line managed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).

  • The Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor spans 82.15 km and is partially operational, with about 55 km opened by January 2025 (New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South).
  • RRTS is designed for a maximum speed of 180 km/h, reducing Delhi-Meerut travel time from 90 minutes to under 60 minutes.
  • NCRTC was established in 2013 as a joint venture of the Central Government and participating state governments.
  • The broader RRTS plan includes three corridors in the NCR region: Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Panipat, and Delhi-Alwar.
  • Deutsche Bahn (Germany's national railway) was selected to operate and maintain the corridor for 12 years.

Connection to this news: Kerala's proposed RRTS adapts this NCR model to a 583 km north-south corridor — a significantly longer distance than the 82 km Delhi-Meerut line — raising questions about whether the RRTS framework is suitable for inter-city distances of this scale.

K-Rail SilverLine Project: Rise and Stalling

The K-Rail SilverLine was Kerala's proposed semi-high-speed rail project to connect Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod over 530 km at speeds up to 200 km/h, reducing travel time from 10-12 hours to under 4 hours.

  • Estimated cost: Rs 64,000-80,000 crore (varying estimates), requiring Rs 34,454 crore in external loans.
  • The project faced massive protests over land acquisition affecting over 30,000 families.
  • E. Sreedharan opposed the project, predicting flooding risks along 393 km of the corridor due to solid walls blocking natural drainage.
  • In 2024, the Railway Ministry refused to approve the project in its standard-gauge dedicated corridor form.
  • The Kerala Cabinet gave in-principle approval in January 2026 for the RRTS corridor as a replacement.

Connection to this news: The RRTS proposal emerged after the failure of K-Rail SilverLine, and Sreedharan views it as another attempt by the LDF government to block his preferred alternative — a high-speed rail corridor implemented with central support through established railway frameworks.

Centre-State Dynamics in Infrastructure Projects

Major rail infrastructure projects in India involve complex Centre-state coordination, with the Railway Ministry controlling approvals for railway projects and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs overseeing metro and RRTS projects. This jurisdictional division often creates friction, particularly when state governments and the Centre are governed by different political parties.

  • Railway projects require Railway Board approval, Central Government funding participation, and safety clearances from the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
  • Metro/RRTS projects operate under the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act 2002, with 50:50 Centre-state funding being common.
  • Kerala is governed by the LDF (Left Democratic Front) while the Centre is governed by the NDA, adding a political dimension to project approvals.
  • India currently has high-speed rail work underway on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor (508 km, estimated Rs 1.08 lakh crore).

Connection to this news: The Centre's silence on both Sreedharan's high-speed rail proposal and the LDF's RRTS plan reflects the political complexity of large infrastructure projects where Centre-state alignment is crucial for funding and regulatory approvals.

Key Facts & Data

  • Kerala RRTS proposed corridor: 583 km (Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod) in four phases.
  • Delhi-Meerut RRTS: 82.15 km, partially operational (55 km by January 2025), max speed 180 km/h.
  • K-Rail SilverLine (shelved): 530 km, estimated cost Rs 64,000-80,000 crore, speeds up to 200 km/h.
  • RRTS governed by Metro Act under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; railways governed by Railway Act.
  • Sreedharan opened Kerala High Speed Railway office in Malappuram under DMRC banner.
  • Four phases proposed: Thiruvananthapuram-Thrissur, Thrissur-Kozhikode, Kozhikode-Kannur, Kannur-Kasaragod.
  • Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: India's first high-speed rail project, 508 km, estimated Rs 1.08 lakh crore.