The Union Railway Ministry has asked the state to revise the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project and switch to broad gauge tracks instead of the earlier standard gauge plan.
The proposed corridor, stretching from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, is being reworked in line with new specifications being developed by the Railway Board for semi-high-speed broad gauge networks.
These standards are being shaped using inputs from the Sarkhej-Dholera corridor project under Western Railway in Gujarat.
The implementing agency, Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited, has been asked to revise the DPR in consultation with Western Railway, signalling a possible shift in the project's technical approach while retaining its broader vision.
Earlier, Indian Railways had proposed integrating the SilverLine corridor with the existing broad gauge network to allow mixed traffic, including passenger, freight and high-speed services such as Vande Bharat Express, operating at speeds of up to 160 kmph.
However, the Kerala government had opposed this, maintaining that a dedicated corridor was essential to achieve true semi-high-speed performance.
Under the revised framework, the core alignment and design are expected to remain largely intact, with the key change being the shift to broad gauge tracks. This could, however, leave room for future integration with the national rail network if required.
Alongside the SilverLine rethink, Indian Railways is also working to upgrade Kerala's existing rail infrastructure. Surveys have been sanctioned for adding third and fourth lines across several busy routes, including Shoranur-Mangaluru and Ernakulam-Kayamkulam stretches.
These proposals will move to the DPR stage following surveys and will require approvals from agencies such as NITI Aayog and the Finance Ministry before execution.