If everything goes well, soon a passenger from Kanhangad (in Kerala) can reach Bangalore within seven hours, thus reducing the existing travel time by 5 hours. Passengers Thanks Keralite Minsiter E-Ahmed Sahib for his Interest The preliminary survey for the proposed new railway line (Kanhangad-Panathur (40 kms)) has been completed. (Panathur-Kaniyur (31 kms) is pending). The development of the track will not only open up connectivity between Northern Kerala and Bangalore, but it will reduce the distance from the existing 657 kms to 348 kms (Kannur to Bangalore). Speaking to Deccan Herald, Jose Kochikunnel, a construction engineer who first proposed the idea of the railway line on Kanhangad-Panathur route said “the survey of the route was included in the 2008-09 budget. The present Kannur-Bangalore route via Palghat is 657 km. It was taking 12 hours to reach the destination. However, with the proposed line, Bangalore will be only 348 kms away from Kanhangad. With this, one can reach Bangalore within six to seven hours.” If the railway line is introduced, then the Keralites residing in Belthangady and Shiradi will be benefited. Moreover, the pilgrims who visit Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala, Talacauvery will also be benefited. One can also enjoy the scenic beauty in the route, he opines. A team from Southern Railway has already visited the site and identified the route. This will be followed by traffic survey, before the Southern Railways sends proposal to the Railway Board for its nod. If the proposed 40-km Kanhangad-Panathur railway line becomes a reality, it can be extended either to Subrahmanya road or Kaniyur on the Mangalore-Hassan railway line. The distance between Panathur and Kaniyur is 31 kms. He said “the Kerala state government has already agreed to bear the cost of the land acquisition for laying the track on the new line. A sum of Rs 200 crore would be required to lay the track between Kanhangad and Panathur. The per kilometre cost of the project is estimated at Rs 5 crore. The total land required for the project is 400 acres. Moreover, the clearance from the Ministry of Environment is not required as the proposed project does not pass through forest areas.” There is abundant supply of construction materials in the area. As per the preliminary survey, new route will have one bridge, six railway stations and two-km tunnel. A representation has been submitted to State Minister for Railways E Ahmmed who in turn has given a positive reply,
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