Kerala moves ahead with entirely solar powered high speed rail
Kerala is moving ahead with a proposed high-speed rail line between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, and here's the cool part: it'll run entirely on solar power.
If all goes well, you could travel 473km across the state in just three and one-half hours.
The line is planned with a maximum design speed of 200km/h, a maximum operational speed of 180km/h, and an average commercial speed of 140km/h.
The project, proposed by E. Sreedharan, aims to set a global benchmark for green transportation.
Expert committee assessing Kerala rail feasibility
An expert committee is currently checking if the plan makes sense for Kerala, looking at everything from environmental impact to social benefits.
The design features an elevated track with 23 stations, a tunnel under Thiruvananthapuram, and connections to almost every major airport (except Kannur, which gets a special road link).
Power comes from dedicated solar panels; any extra energy goes back to Kerala's grid.
With a price tag of ₹60,000 crore, funding will be split between government equity and crowdfunding—so people can actually chip in to make this happen.
Standard gage tracks are planned so it lines up with global high-speed systems.