Parliament Question: Proposal for Vizhinjam Port Tunnel Rail Connectivity

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4051 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 PROPOSAL FOR VIZHINJAM PORT TUNNEL RAIL CONNECTIVITY 4051. ADV K. FRANCIS GEORGE: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has received any proposal from the Government of Kerala seeking enhancement of the handling capacity of Vizhinjam International Seaport through tunnel rail connectivity and augmentation of railway infrastructure and, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government has examined the proposal for strengthening rail connectivity to Vizhinjam Port including construction of additional rail lines and development of operation and maintenance infrastructure and, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether any Central financial assistance has been sanctioned/proposed for the said project and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for delay; and (d) the details of the time-frame within which the Government proposes to take a final decision on the proposal and commence implementation of the rail connectivity project to the said Port? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d): Rail connectivity to Vizhinjam International Seaport is under execution to provide seamless integration of the Port with the Indian Railways network and to strengthen multimodal logistics handling capabilities of the Indian Railways as well as the port. The 10.7 km rail link will connect Vizhinjam International Seaport with Balaramapuram (BRAM) Station on the Southern Railway network. Page 1 of 2 §The project is being developed at a cost of ₹1,482.92 crore under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) policy of Ministry of Railways with an agreement signed between Southern Railways and Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL), a Special Purpose Vehicle of the Government of Kerala. Under the provisions of this agreement, VISL undertakes construction and maintenance of the line under Indian Railways’ supervision, while Indian Railways is responsible for train operations and control of movements. The land acquisition is being done by the State Government. The final timelines of the project will depend on the full possession of land, followed by execution undertaken by VISL. ***** Page 2 of 2