Kalpetta: Metroman E Sreedharan, who has been championing rail connectivity to Wayanad for more than a decade through the proposed Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line, has now proposed a new high-speed rail corridor linking Sulthan Bathery with Kozhikode. The 83-km line has been envisaged as a pilot for Kerala's proposed high-speed rail network.

The proposed line, conceived on the model of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), would pass through a 20-km tunnel through the Wayanad Ghats and is expected to be completed within four years.

There would be only two stations in Wayanad—at Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery. To minimise the environmental impact, the tunnel would begin at Adivaram and emerge at Kalpetta, keeping the alignment at a safe distance from the steepest section of the Ghats.

According to a concept note dated September 19 submitted by Sreedharan to Chief Minister V D Satheesan, the estimated cost of the project is ₹15,000 crore. Of this, the cumulative contribution of the state and Union governments would be ₹9,000 crore, while the remaining ₹6,000 crore, or 40%, would be mobilised through crowdfunding.

The state government's share would be ₹4,410 crore over five years (₹882 crore a year), while the Union government would contribute ₹4,590 crore (₹918 crore a year). The 20-km twin-tunnel section would begin at Adivaram and end at Kalpetta.

Sources close to Sreedharan told Onmanorama that he has already discussed the project with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is ready to take up the entire mission, including preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), which Sreedharan has said could be completed within six months for a fee of ₹ 5 crore. The energy requirements of the line would be met through a captive solar power system, which is expected to reduce operation and maintenance costs by 33%.

The project would be implemented on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis and transferred to the government 15 years after becoming operational. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) would be formed for its construction and management, with representation from the state and Union governments and DMRC.

The metro hub is proposed at Arayidathupalam in Kozhikode, from where the line would connect to Adivaram through an elevated viaduct. This, according to the proposal, would ensure that the rail line is not affected by landslides or rockfalls.

The land acquired for the project would eventually be returned to the owners, allowing temporary farming activities and minor constructions, subject to applicable regulations. Those who surrender land would also benefit from improved road connectivity, as the entire stretch would be linked to the nearest roads.

Based on an initial study of passenger movement through the Thamarassery Ghat section of NH 766, DMRC has estimated that the proposed line could have a ridership of 70,000 passengers a day in each direction. In a note submitted to the Chief Minister on July 31, Sreedharan said his team was surprised by the volume of traffic recorded during a survey conducted in July, a comparatively less busy period because of the monsoon.

The 48-hour survey found that around 48,000 passengers travelled in one direction along the Thamarassery Ghat road in about 6,300 vehicles.

According to Kalpetta MLA T Siddique, Sreedharan's intervention to address Wayanad's traffic woes is a blessing. Initial discussions on the project have already been held with the Chief Minister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said, adding that Wayanad would be the first phase of the project.

Sreedharan had made an earlier attempt during the Oommen Chandy government's tenure in 2013 to connect Wayanad to the state's railway network through the proposed Nilambur-Nanjangud line. However, the successive LDF government in 2016 shifted its focus to the Thalassery-Mananthavady-Mysuru railway line.