Port rail tunnel project nears execution phase

T'puram: The long-awaited railway tunnel connecting Vizhinjam International Seaport with Balaramapuram railway station is set to move into the execution phase, with the tender for construction likely to be floated next week.Highly placed sources said finance department has already cleared the project and the file is currently with law department for final legal vetting and minor clarifications. Clearance from law department is expected this week. Once the approval is granted, the executing agency, Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL), will issue the tender, paving way for construction to commence in April this year. A senior state govt official confirmed that procedural formalities are nearing completion. "The financial sanction was accorded and only routine legal scrutiny remains. We expect law department's clearance shortly. The rail link is crucial for the seamless evacuation of cargo from the port," the official said. The proposed tunnel forms a critical component of the rail connectivity project for the under-construction Vizhinjam International Seaport, India's first dedicated deep-water transhipment port. The port, being developed by Adani Group under a public-private partnership model with Kerala govt, is expected to significantly boost state's maritime trade by attracting large container vessels that currently dock at foreign ports such as Colombo. The 10km-long rail corridor with a major underground tunnel stretch, will link the port directly to the national railway network at Balaramapuram railway station. The alignment was designed to minimize surface disruption in densely populated coastal areas. Land acquisition in two of the three affected villages is already completed, while acquisition in the remaining village is in its final stages and is expected to conclude shortly. Officials said rehabilitation measures are being implemented in accordance with statutory norms. Once operational, the dedicated rail link is expected to reduce heavy container truck traffic on city roads, cut logistics costs, and enhance the competitiveness of Vizhinjam Port as a major transhipment hub on the Arabian Sea.