The Kerala government has granted administrative approval for the construction of a railway line as part of the Vizhinjam International Port project, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,482 crore. Of the 10.7 km railway line, 9.02 km will be underground.
The project, undertaken by Konkan Railways, aims to transport containers from the port to Balaramapuram, connecting it with the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari railway route. The state cabinet has approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Konkan Rail Corporation, and the railway line is expected to be completed by 2028.
The government plans to fund the project through central schemes such as Sagarmala, Rail Sagar, and PM Gati Shakti. If central assistance is unavailable, a NABARD loan will be sought. The railway will run parallel to the Vizhinjam-Balaramapuram road, passing at a depth of 15 to 30 metres below ground.
Once completed, the Balaramapuram railway station will be upgraded into a signalling station for Rs 240 crore. The station will be relocated slightly towards Neyyattinkara. The decision to build a tunnel instead of a conventional railway line was made to minimise land acquisition in densely populated areas.
The railway project requires 6.04 hectares of land across Balaramapuram, Athiyannur, Pallichal, and Vizhinjam villages. This includes 2.04 hectares from Vizhinjam, 4.07 hectares from Balaramapuram, 7.36 hectares from Pallichal, and 2.39 hectares from Athiyannur.
The Vizhinjam Port Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Konkan Rail Corporation for a feasibility study and construction in 2018. At the time, the estimated construction cost was Rs 1,032 crore.
