Sabari rail project in Kerala: Kerala government on Wednesday, February 4, decided to invest Rs 1,905 crore, around 50 per cent of the total project cost, for the development of the Sabari rail project. With this decision, the long-pending rail project in the state is finally set to get fulfil. The state government will fund this project through Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
Sharing a post on X, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: “To fulfil a long-cherished dream of the people of Kerala, the GoK is moving decisively to realise the Sabari Rail project. Even as the Union Government insists that the State bear 50% of the project cost (₹1,905 crore), we are stepping in through KIIFB to ensure this vital project is no longer delayed.”
Vijayan further stated that Kerala is among the strongest revenue contributors to Indian Railways. “In 2024 alone, ticket sales from just nine major stations in our State generated Rs 1,471 crore. Yet, despite this substantial contribution, the Union Govt continues to demand that Kerala pay for its own essential rail tracks,” the CM said.
He also added that plans are in place to develop the corridor and link it directly with Vizhinjam International Port, aiming to boost Kerala’s economy.
To fulfil a long-cherished dream of the people of Kerala, the GoK is moving decisively to realise the Sabari Rail project. Even as the Union Government insists that the State bear 50% of the project cost (₹1,905 crore), we are stepping in through KIIFB to ensure this vital… pic.twitter.com/vtVthWcbIO
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) February 4, 2026
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Sabari rail project: Route, station list
The 111-km-long Angamaly-Sabarimala to Erumeli new rail line project was approved in 1997-98. The Sabari railway project will have 14 stations. These are: Angamaly, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Odakkali, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Vazhakulam, Thodaopuzha, Karimkunnam, Ramapuram, Bharananganam, Chemmalamattom, Kanjirappally and Erumeli.
Why Sabari rail project was delayed
On Wednesday, responding to a question raised by Lok Sabha MPs K C Venugopal and Anto Antony, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply that several railway projects in Kerala have been delayed due to land acquisition issues, including the Angamali–Sabarimala new line project. He said that the total land requirement for the project is 416 hectares. However, only 24 hectares have been acquired so far, leaving 392 hectares yet to be acquired.
On Wednesday, Kerala minister P Rajeev said in a post on X that land acquisition for the Sabari rail project will be expedited.
Sabari Rail has waited for 27 years, not because Kerala lacked intent but because support from the Union government never came. Today, the state cabinet has decided that Kerala will bear ₹1,905 crore, half the project cost, to prevent this vital rail link from remaining on paper…
— P Rajeev (@PRajeevOfficial) February 4, 2026
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Reasons behind Sabari rail project’s 27-year delay
In a written statement made in the Rajya Sabha on July 25, 2025, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that work on the Angamali–Kaladi stretch (7 km) and long-lead works on the Kaladi–Perumbavoor section (10 km) had been taken up. He added that further progress on the project could not be carried forward due to protests by local residents over land acquisition and alignment issues, court cases filed against the project, and inadequate support from the Kerala government.
The Union minister was responding to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather Hisham. “The estimated cost of the project has been updated at ₹3801 crore and submitted to Government of Kerala in December, 2023 for the acceptance of the estimate and willingness to share cost of the project.
In August 2024, the Government of Kerala has communicated their conditional consent. Government of Kerala has been requested by Railway to submit unconditional consent for sharing the Cost. The Government of Kerala has also been requested to enter into tripartite MoU among State Government of Kerala, Ministry of Railways and RBI for the Project.
However, in the Memorandum submitted by Govt. of Kerala to Minister of Railways on 3rd June, 2025, it has been intimated that State Govt. of Kerala does not agree to enter into tripartite agreement. In the recent meeting with the Chief Minister of Kerala, Minister of Railways requested the Government of Kerala to acquire land using their share of 50% of the cost of the project. Once land acquisition by State starts, work can proceed further,” Vaishnaw said on July 25, 2025 in Rajya Sabha.