Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi | Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said the allocation of funds for development of the rail network in Keralam has increased tenfold from Rs 372 crore in 2014 to Rs 3,795 crores in the 2026-27 financial year.

The Union Minister said that this increase in fund allocation indicates that there is a clear roadmap for development of the railway network in Keralam.

"We also discussed the development of the railway network in Keralam. Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has increased the allocation for Keralam 10 times to Rs 3,795 crores in FY26-27. This amount was just Rs 372 crores in 2014. I also discussed the matter with Hon'ble CM @vdsatheesan Ji," the minister said in an X post.

He further said that the increased investment has translated into substantial work on the ground.

"Over the last 12 years, Keralam has seen 100 per cent electrification of its railway network, completion of doubling/gauge-conversion projects, 131 flyovers and underpasses, and redevelopment of 16 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme," he said.

The minister said that the momentum was continuing as projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crore are currently under execution in Keralam, covering nine multitracking and new-line projects, 145 flyovers and underpasses, and 19 station redevelopment.

"The focus is on building greater capacity and enabling smoother, more efficient railway operations across Keralam," he said.

Vaishnaw noted that since 2014, six major doubling and gauge-conversion projects have been completed in Keralam, covering 670 km at a total cost of Rs 4,316 crore and termed it a significant step forward in strengthening railway capacity and connectivity across the southern state.

In addition to these, six Vande Bharat and an equal number of Amrit Bharat trains are currently operational in the state, bringing the total new rail services in the last two years to 22, he added.

He further said that the next phase of railway development in Keralam was already taking shape with several major projects, like the Angamali-Sabarimala new line, Tirunnavaya-Guruvayur new line, Ernakulam-Kumbalam Doubling and the Alappuzha-Ambalapuzha doubling, being sanctioned to strengthen rail capacity, connectivity and network expansion across the state.

However, issues with land acquisition are creating problem, the minister claimed.

He said that a total of 618 hectares of land was required for which the Railways has deposited Rs 1,976 crore with the state govenment.

But, till now only 78 hectares of land have been acquired and with 540 hectares more required, the minister said.

He said that four projects, including the 111 kilometer long Angamali-Sabarimala new line, have been delayed due to the time being taken for land acquisition.

Alongside ongoing projects, work is also being taken up to address capacity constraints and prepare Keralam's rail network for future growth, he said.

The minister said that 145 Road Over Bridge (ROB)/(road Under Bridge/Road under Bridge (RUB) are under construction at a cost of Rs 4,786 crore.

"To further expand the north-south capacity through the state, survey work is under way for the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) covering more than 800 km of third- and fourth-line augmentation across six sections," he said.

Vaishnaw said that passenger connectivity in Keralam has also expanded significantly and the focus is on strengthening the everyday regional connectivity across the state.

He also said that the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was transforming railway stations across Keralam.

He added that 35 stations, including Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyattinkara, Varkala, Punalur, Kollam Jn (Quilon), Alappuzha, Kayankulam Jn, Ernakulam, and Ernakulam Town -- were being redeveloped at a total cost of Rs 3,111 crore and of them work at 16 stations has been completed.