Overview

• Only 24 of the 416 hectares required have been secured, with Kerala yet to start substantive land transfers.
• The Railways Ministry insists work will resume once Kerala acquires land using its half share of the ₹3,801 crore cost.
• Though Kerala gave conditional consent in August 2024, it has declined to sign an unconditional tripartite MoU with Railways and RBI.
• The 111 km line was sanctioned in 1997–98 and saw initial progress on Angamali–Kaladi and Kaladi–Perumbavoor sections before stalling.
• The stalled link to the hilltop Sabarimala temple remains crucial for pilgrim connectivity but faces decades of bureaucratic and legal hurdles.