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Kerala Railway Development Corporation Limited(KRDCL or K-Rail) has floated a tender for architectural drawings for the remaining ten stations on the Rs 63,941 crore Silverline semi-high-speed railway project. According to media reports, a conceptual design for the Thiruvananthapuram station was created in collaboration with KITCO and was based on anticipated patronage, passenger amenities, and safety requirements. All stations will be built through a public-private partnership (PPP), with the conceptual design serving as a guideline. Among the amenities planned are ample parking and retail outlets. Stakeholders involved in station development projects can enhance this even further by including additional passenger amenities. The bids are being sought after the Railway Board gave SilverLine in-principle approval, allowing for pre-investment activities of up to Rs 100 crore. The land required for the stations has already been frozen, and the government has been given the details. Civil engineering tender documents for the entire project are being prepared. Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kochi Airport, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, and Kannur are among the intermediate stations, while Kasargod will get a terminal station. Stations for cargo and roll-in, roll-off (RoRo) traffic will be designed in the coming months. They are planned to be built near Pallipuram in Thiruvananthapuram and Pallikkara in Kochi. A passenger station has been planned adjacent to the Cochin International Airport(CIAL). The media has also reported that modern buses will be introduced from the terminal station in Thiruvananthapuram to the nearby international airport. The agency has requested bids for a hydrographic survey to ensure that adequate openings beneath the embankment are available so that the 530 km Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod alignment does not obstruct natural water flow. The survey will look at the terrain, rainfall history, and other factors to determine this. Soil tests are currently being completed, and a rapid Environment Impact Assessment (rapid-EIA) report is being prepared. Image Source