Kasaragod: With Metroman E Sreedharan’s proposed 200 kmph high-speed train corridor from Thiruvananthapuram set to end at Kannur, Kasaragod once again finds itself asking a familiar question: Is the district part of Kerala at all?

The question resurfaces each time a major infrastructure project is announced, whether in healthcare, tourism or transport, and has returned after reports suggested the high-speed corridor may not extend to Kasaragod.

Speaking in Ponnani on January 24, Sreedharan, former Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, said the travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur on the dedicated corridor would be reduced to three hours and 15 minutes, adding that the line could be extended to Kasaragod and Mangaluru, if required.

Social media, however, did not take it kindly, with users recalling a sense of deja vu from when the Vande Bharat Express was initially planned only up to Kannur. Now, Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan and MLAs C H Kunhambu, N A Nellikkunnu and A K M Ashraf have also joined issue, flagging what they described as the Railways’ long-standing neglect of the district. BJP district president Ashwini M L, however, said the controversy exposed the collective failure of Kasaragod’s elected representatives.

Unnithan said the proposal once again highlighted how Kasaragod was routinely sidelined in major rail projects. “The high-speed rail must be extended to Kasaragod and, if possible, further to Mangaluru to truly serve the region. Kasaragod has always lagged when it comes to rail connectivity,” he said. Recalling the Vande Bharat experience, the Congress MP said, “When Vande Bharat was launched, people had to protest just to get it extended to Mangaluru. Even now, one of the two Vande Bharat trains runs only up to Kasaragod. That too should go to Mangaluru.”

Unnithan argued that revenue considerations were being selectively cited to deny Kasaragod better connectivity. “The Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod corridors are among the most profitable Vande Bharat routes in the country,” he said. He also pointed to existing travel hardships, noting, “The Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express stops at Kannur. A large number of passengers from Kasaragod hire vehicles to get home after getting down in Kannur.”

He insisted that people’s representatives must be taken on board before finalising the project. “For the high-speed train, people’s representatives must be consulted before finalising alignments, conducting the environmental impact assessments and preparing the detailed project report. The route should not hurt people,” Unnithan said, adding, “Revenue-wise, this will be one of the top routes in India, just like Vande Bharat.”

Udma MLA C H Kunhambu said ending the corridor at Kannur amounted to “blatant neglect” of Kasaragod. “We are told the high-speed train project is a (51:49) joint venture between the Union government and the state government. Ending the high-speed corridor at Kannur amounted to blatant neglect of Kasaragod district,” he said.

Kunhambu recalled that an earlier proposal had already been dropped. “Earlier, the semi-high-speed rail was planned from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, but it was dropped after the Union government denied approval,” he said. Warning against vague assurances, the CPM leader added, “We are strongly demanding that the high-speed train come up to Kasaragod. The assurance that it would be extended later is meaningless.”

Rejecting claims about low passenger potential, Kunhambu said, “The claim that Kasaragod does not have enough passengers is misinformation. If the district is excluded now, there will be strong people’s protests.”

Kasaragod MLA N A Nellikkunnu said the neglect of the district was structural and long-standing. “The railways’ neglect of Kasaragod is structural and long-standing. Several important trains skip Kasaragod by saying tata. They cite financial unviability,” he said.

Pointing to existing services, the IUML leader added, “But look at Vande Bharat and Rajdhani Express. Revenue from Kasaragod has matched that of many bigger stations, even surpassing the expectations of railway officials.” He called for public mobilisation, saying, “People should stand together and protest.”

Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf linked the rail issue to a broader pattern of exclusion. “Since the district was formed, Kasaragod has been neglected,” he said, listing ongoing agitations. “Today, there are protests over the medical college hospital, the illegal toll at Kumbla, and the demand for AIIMS. Amid all this, we are told that Kasaragod will not be part of the high-speed rail.”

Ashraf recalled the human cost of poor connectivity during the pandemic. “During the COVID pandemic, when Karnataka shut its borders, 21 people died in Kasaragod, not of COVID but because they could not access treatment,” he said, adding, “Kasaragod may be the only district where people died due to a lack of healthcare access.”

Targeting the Union government, he said, “Today, the BJP is heading the Union government, and the party is not paying attention to Kasaragod. The high-speed railway is the biggest example.”

Collective failure of Kasaragod’s elected representatives, says BJP
Responding to the criticism, BJP district president Ashwini M L accused Opposition leaders of political opportunism. “Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan and Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf rush to claim credit whenever a train gets a stop or a foot overbridge comes up on a national highway, often putting up flex boards to advertise it,” she said.

She added, “But when a high-speed train sidelines Kasaragod, they conveniently point fingers at the BJP. This only exposes the collective failure of Kasaragod’s elected representatives in taking up the district’s cause.” Ashwini said she remembered the MP taking credit earlier. “I remember the MP taking credit for the Vande Bharat stop and its extension to Mangaluru,” she said.

Urging voters to give the BJP a chance, she added, “Let the people elect the BJP. We will show what we can do.” She said she had been engaging directly with Union ministers. “Even without having an MLA or MP from Kasaragod, I have been meeting Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Ashwini Vaishnaw to press for train halts and foot overbridges,” she said.

Ashwini also referred to the toll plaza issue. “I am going to meet Gadkari to get the toll plaza at Kumbla removed. I will also meet the Railway Minister on this,” she said.

What the revenue figures say
Passenger revenue figures further weaken the argument that Kasaragod lacks passenger potential. In 2024–25, Kasaragod station ranked seventh in passenger revenue in Palakkad Division, which has 26 stations. It earned ₹49.40 crore, just below sixth-placed Shoranur Junction at ₹55.54 crore.

There are four stations in the ₹100-crore-plus club. Kozhikode topped the list with ₹190 crore, followed by Palakkad Junction at ₹138 crore, Kannur at ₹123.73 crore and Mangaluru Central at ₹120 crore. Mangaluru Junction stood fifth with ₹60.63 crore. Leaders such as Unnithan said these figures showed it was economically prudent to club Kasaragod and Mangaluru and extend the high-speed train to the Karnataka city.