The Indian Railways on Monday approved two major infrastructure projects for Kerala, with a total cost of ₹487.73 crore, as part of its nationwide initiatives to enhance capacity, safety and operational efficiency. The projects include the Alappuzha-Ambalapuzha doubling and the Palakkad Town-Parli bypass line.

The Alappuzha-Ambalapuzha doubling project, covering a length of 12.66 km, has been sanctioned at a cost of ₹324.16 crore. The project aims to eliminate a key single-line bottleneck on the Ernakulam-Turavur-Kayankulam route.

Once completed, it will allow the operation of nine additional passenger trains per day in each direction and add 2.88 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight capacity. The project is also expected to generate an additional ₹3.23 crore in annual earnings.

By addressing the last remaining single-line stretch on the corridor, the doubling will ensure smoother and uninterrupted train movement, improve travel reliability for long-distance passengers and strengthen inter-State freight movement within Kerala. It is also expected to decongest major junctions, enabling faster and more seamless train operations.

The Palakkad Town-Parli bypass line, spanning 1.80 km and costing ₹163.57 crore, is aimed at eliminating engine reversals at Palakkad Junction for several train services. The bypass is expected to reduce the average detention of passenger trains by 40 to 44 minutes and cut freight detention by up to 120 minutes per train. It will also facilitate the introduction of additional passenger services from Palakkad Junction.

By streamlining train movements, the bypass line will significantly improve punctuality on routes connecting Shoranur, Thiruvananthapuram and Pollachi, while easing congestion at one of Southern Railway's busiest junctions.

The Railways also approved several other projects across the country, including the Barbenda-Damrughutu doubling and the Damrughutu-Bokaro Steel City third and fourth lines in Jharkhand to strengthen the energy, mineral and cement corridor. The total project estimate is ₹815.32 crore.

Electronic interlocking has been sanctioned at 34 stations of Northern Railway to enhance safety and increase train frequency, while a Rajpura bypass line was approved to streamline freight movement and ease congestion on the Ambala–Jalandhar section.

In Tamil Nadu, the Irugur-Podanur doubling project has been cleared, which will transform the Chennai-Coimbatore-Podanur corridor into a high-capacity four-line route. The project cost is estimated at ₹277.42 crore.