Kerala’s SilverLine project

About SilverLine project-

• The 529.45 km SilverLine corridor connects Kasaragod in the north and Thiruvananthapuram in the south, with an operating speed of 200kmph.
• It also covers 11 districts through 11 stations. The intermediate stations include Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kochi Airport, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode and Kannur.

• Of the 11 stations, three will be elevated (Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur), one underground (Kozhikode) and the rest at grade. 
• At every 500 metres, there will be under-passages with service roads.
• The project, estimated to cost Rs 63,940 crore, is billed as one of the biggest infrastructure plans being pushed by the state government.
• The deadline for the project, being executed by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), is 2025. 
• KRDCL, or K-Rail, is a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry of Railways created to execute big railway projects.
• The project will have trains of electric multiple unit (EMU) type, each with preferably nine cars expandable to 12. 
• A nine-car rake can seat a maximum of 675 passengers in business and standard class settings. 
• The trains can run at a maximum speed of 220 km/hr on a standard gauge track, completing journeys in either direction in under four hours.