More than equity, Kasaragod stakeholders pitch high-speed rail extension on economic grounds

Kasaragod:  If concerns over cost and financial viability are driving the proposal to limit the high-speed rail corridor to the Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur stretch, stakeholders in Kerala's northernmost district are mounting an economic case for extending the line to Kasaragod.

Kasaragod MLA Kallatra Mahin, the Kasaragod Railway Passengers Association and the Kasaragod Chamber of Commerce and Industry argue that including Kasaragod is not merely a question of regional equity, but one that also makes sound economic sense, given the district's passenger traffic, strategic location on the Karnataka border and growing role as a gateway to northern Kerala.

According to Prasad M N, secretary of the Kasaragod Chamber of Commerce, the proposed high-speed rail corridor between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur includes 23 stations. Yet Kasaragod railway station, which lies beyond the proposed terminus, generates more revenue than several of them. With annual earnings of around Rs 50 crore, Kasaragod ranks 15th among Kerala's railway stations in terms of revenue generation, he said.

Citing railway data, Prasad said Kasaragod ranks 33rd among the 727 stations under the Southern Railway zone and 15th among Kerala's 181 railway stations. "When a station with this level of passenger traffic and revenue generation is left out, questions naturally arise about the economic rationale behind the proposal," he said.

Kasaragod Railway Passengers Association R Prashanth Kumar said the Vande Bharat semi-high speed express train was initially planned to run only between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur. Following sustained demands from passengers and public representatives, one Vande Bharat Express was extended to Kasaragod and another to Mangaluru. "Today, the two are among the highest revenue-generating Vande Bharat services in the country," he said.

Similarly, the Mangaluru-Kanyakumar Parasuram Express is among the highest occupied trains in India, with an occupancy rate of 267 per cent, said Prasad. “We are on a strong footing when we say it makes economic sense to extend the high-speed rail to Kasargod," he said.

Other factors keep Kasaragod in contention. Prasad said Kasaragod was being projected by the state government as an emerging investment destination because of the availability of land in the district. Among Kerala's districts, Kasaragod figures among the top three in terms of unused government land, he said. Five industrial parks, each spread over 10 acres, are being developed in the district, while around 400 applications for industrial plots are pending with the District Industries Centre (DIC).

He also pointed to the district's growing tourism sector. Citing data from the District Tourism Promotion Council, Prasad said foreign tourist arrivals surged by nearly 2,900 per cent between 2021 and 2025, while domestic tourist arrivals rose by about 150 per cent during the same period.

"These numbers are only going to grow. With new industrial parks, strong investor interest and rising tourist arrivals, Kasaragod needs better connectivity, not less," he said.

Again, the terminal station for the high-speed train is planned at Mundayad, 12 km from Kannur International Airport. "If the high-speed corridor is extended to Kasaragod, it would be a boost for the airport too, struggling to get a port of call status for lack of connectivity," said Prasad.

Today, people from Kasaragod sit in a bus for 3.5 hours to reach the airport at Mattannur. To put that in perspective, in 3.5 hours, the high-speed train would reach Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur.

Kasaragod MLA Kallatra Mahin has gone one step ahead and said the high-speed train should be extended to Mangaluru. In his petition to the Chief Minister, Mahin said extending the train to Mangaluru would help realise the full potential of the project, considering the neighbouring Karnataka city, 50km from Kasaragod, is a medical and education hub. "This is the collective demand of the people of Kasaragod,” said the MLA in his petition.

Kasaragod District Rail Passengers Association coordinator Nizar Peruvad argued that extending the corridor beyond Kannur would significantly expand its catchment area and revenue potential. He said the line could pass through Povval near LBS Engineering College in Kasaragod, making it accessible even to students and residents from nearby Sullia in Karnataka. Further north, a station at Derlakatte would serve a major education and healthcare hub that includes Mangalore University, NITTE and Yenepoya universities, four medical colleges and several dental, pharmacy and allied health institutions. The corridor could then connect to Mangaluru International Airport at Bajpe before terminating at Udupi, which draws large numbers of pilgrims from Kerala to the Sri Krishna Temple and Kollur Mookambika Temple, besides serving students dependent on Manipal University and its medical college.

Extending the line to Udupi would also improve integration with Karnataka's rail network, including the recently introduced Mangalore-Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat Express, providing a convenient onward connection to Bengaluru for passengers from north Kerala. "A high-speed corridor that links Kerala with the education, healthcare, pilgrimage and aviation hubs of coastal Karnataka would attract far more passengers than a line ending at Kannur," Nizar said, adding that the extension could also find greater political support as both states are governed by the same party now.