Kerala’s newly elected UDF government has formally pulled the plug on the controversial SilverLine semi high-speed rail corridor, marking a decisive policy shift from the previous Left Democratic Front administration that had championed the ambitious infrastructure project for years, news agency PTI reported on May 20.
New Chief Minister V D Satheesan said that the state cabinet had decided to scrap the proposed rail project and revoke all notifications related to land acquisition issued for the corridor.
The government will also recommend withdrawal of criminal cases registered against protesters who had opposed the project, subject to court approval, Satheesan added.
The decision brings to a close a politically charged chapter in Kerala. Conceived during the tenure of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the SilverLine project aimed to establish a semi high-speed rail link connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.
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The proposed corridor was expected to sharply reduce travel time across the state and was projected by the previous administration as a transformative mobility initiative.
However, the project faced sustained resistance from opposition parties, environmental activists and residents in several districts. Critics had questioned the project’s financial viability, environmental impact and land acquisition process.
Demonstrations intensified after survey stones were laid in multiple areas, with opposition leaders accusing the then government of moving ahead without adequate public consultation and without securing all mandatory clearances from the Centre.
During his tenure as Leader of the Opposition, Satheesan had repeatedly targeted the project, describing it as economically risky and socially disruptive. Congress-led UDF leaders had argued that the state could face severe fiscal stress if the massive infrastructure plan moved ahead.
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Questions were also raised over funding arrangements and whether the project had received full approval from the Union government and the Railways Ministry.
The SilverLine proposal had triggered one of Kerala’s largest public agitations in recent years. Protesters alleged that thousands of families faced displacement, while environmental experts warned about the possible ecological consequences of constructing the corridor through densely populated and environmentally sensitive regions.
Several demonstrations had turned confrontational, resulting in criminal cases against activists and local residents.
The new government’s move to withdraw those cases is being viewed as an attempt to politically and administratively distance itself from the previous regime’s handling of the issue. The cabinet decision is also expected to provide relief to affected landowners who had been facing uncertainty over acquisition proceedings.
Apart from scrapping the project, the cabinet also approved an extension of the validity of Kerala Public Service Commission rank lists till November 30. Satheesan said appointments had slowed considerably during the election period, making the extension necessary to protect job aspirants waiting for recruitment opportunities.
The SilverLine reversal marks one of the first major policy decisions of the new UDF administration and signals a likely broader review of large-scale projects initiated by the previous government.
According to political observers, the decision could reshape the state’s infrastructure priorities, with the new administration likely to focus more on upgrading existing transport systems rather than pursuing entirely new mega-corridors.
Satheesan said that the revenue department had been directed to remove the yellow concrete markers installed at several locations during the land acquisition process for the project.
He reiterated that the UDF was not opposed to a high-speed rail corridor in principle, provided it did not impose a financial burden on Kerala or cause environmental damage. He argued that the SilverLine project lacked a proper Detailed Project Report (DPR) and warned that its implementation would have led to severe environmental consequences.
According to him, the proposed plan involved constructing 30-foot-high embankments across 300 km and 10-foot-high walls along another 200 km stretch of the corridor.
He maintained that such large-scale structures would have created major problems during the monsoon season and described the project as environmentally unsustainable. Satheesan said the UDF arrived at the conclusion that the project was unviable after consulting experts from various fields.
Referring to the project’s status, he said the LDF government only needed to issue an order to officially denotify it, but had failed to do so despite having abandoned the plan.
During the press conference, Satheesan also announced that the Cabinet had decided to extend the validity of Public Service Commission (PSC) exam rank lists until November 30 because very few appointments had been made during the election period. He clarified that all PSC rank lists set to expire by August 31 would now remain valid until the extended date, and instructions regarding the move would be issued to the PSC.
He noted that extensions of rank list validity are generally uncommon, but the disruption caused by elections and related activities had prevented appointments from being carried out. According to him, the delay in appointments had caused disappointment and hardship among many young job aspirants.
Satheesan further stated that the promises outlined in the UDF manifesto would be distributed among the relevant departments for implementation. He said the initiative had been named Vision 2031 and that departments had been instructed to immediately begin work on fulfilling the commitments made to the public, with the aim of completing them before the government’s term ends in 2031.
He also said the government would focus during the first 100 days beginning June 1 on implementing those manifesto promises that require minimal intervention and could be completed quickly.
In addition, the Cabinet decided to form a sub-committee to recommend names to the Centre for the Padma awards. Satheesan also announced the appointment of advocate Mohammed Shah as the Additional Advocate General in the Kerala High Court.
