Vande Bharat trains can be an alternative: Shashi Tharoor wants Kerala govt to rethink on SilverLine

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who had earlier expressed support for the CPI(M)-led Kerala government’s proposed semi-high-speed rail corridor, SilverLine, on Wednesday said it should be looked into if the new Vande Bharat trains announced in the Union budget would be a cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to the rail corridor project.

In his Facebook post, Tharoor said the announcement of 400 new Vande Bharat trains with a speed of 180 km per hour is significant for Kerala. “Both the central and state governments should look into whether the Vande Bharat trains would be a cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to the rail corridor, K-Rail. If Kerala gets Vande Bharat trains, it may serve the need for fast transport facilities from the southern end of the state to the northern end.