New Delhi, March 18 The field survey for the new Nilambur-Nanjangud line has been completed, however, the approval of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, therefore, an exact timeline cannot be established, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
Vaishnaw responded to questions raised by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi regarding government proposals to improve inter- and intra-state rail connectivity to the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency and the status of the proposed Nanjangud-Nilambur railway line.
The proposed 236 km long railway line will start from Nilambur in Kerala and terminate at Nanjangud in Karnataka, passing through Wayanad.
The Wayanad district is already connected to the railway network, and the Nilambur Road Station is served by 16 train services, as detailed by Vaishnaw.
"To provide connectivity from the Nilambur road station to Karnataka, the survey of the new Nilambur-Nanjangud line was carried out in 2007-08, but the project could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections," he said.
Vaishnaw added that, due to public demand, a Fresh Final Location Survey (FLS) for the Nilambur-Nanjangud new line project has been sanctioned to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
"The field survey has been completed. After preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), approval of the project requires consultation with various stakeholders, including state governments and necessary approvals, such as appraisal by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. As the approval of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed," he added.
Priyanka Gandhi also inquired whether the government has proposed the introduction of special tourist trains to promote the unique heritage of the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
"Indian Railways has issued the 'Bharat Gaurav Trains' policy in November 2021, under which theme-based tourist circuit trains are being run with the objective to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world," Vaishnaw said.
"According to this policy, service providers have full flexibility to decide the themes/itineraries for the operation of Bharat Gaurav tourist circuit trains, which may include tourist circuits of any part of India, including Wayanad, based on market demand and commercial viability," he added.