Indian Railways Approves ₹220.51 Crore Line Doubling Project on Mararikulam–Alappuzha Section in Kerala
Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the Mararikulam–Alappuzha rail section in Kerala at an approved cost of ₹220.51 crore. The project covers 10.65 km and forms part of the railways' capacity augmentation programme encompassing doubling, tripling, quadrupling, flyover, and bypass works across the national network.
The Mararikulam–Alappuzha stretch is currently the only remaining single-line section on the Ernakulam–Alappuzha–Kayankulam corridor, where doubling works on all other sections have already been completed or are currently under implementation. The project will therefore complete the full double-line connectivity across this busy Kerala corridor on the Southern Railway network.
Upon completion, the project is expected to enable the operation of nine additional passenger trains in each direction daily and support freight traffic of 2.88 million tonnes per annum. The doubling is projected to generate additional annual earnings of approximately ₹3.08 crore from increased passenger and freight movement. Broader operational benefits include reduced train detention, improved punctuality, and more efficient integration of passenger and freight services on the route.
The project has been identified under Indian Railways' Mission 3000 MT and High Density Traffic Network Corridor initiatives. It carries an estimated Financial Internal Rate of Return of 3.99 per cent and an Economic Internal Rate of Return of 22.30 per cent. A construction timeline and procurement schedule have not been disclosed in the approval announcement.