Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on 30 July, 2025, that the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) for third and fourth railway lines across crucial Kerala routes is in progress.

This includes the Mangaluru-Coimbatore corridor via Shoranur-Palakkad and the third line along the Shoranur-Ernakulam-Kayamkulam-Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil stretch. Responding to a query, Vaishnaw stated, "Introduction of new trains requires increased capacity of railway tracks. The government is trying to increase the capacity of railway network in Kerala."

The DPR work is being carried out on multiple key routes: the third and fourth lines between Shoranur and Mangaluru, the Shoranur-Coimbatore route (99 km), and the third line for the stretches from Shoranur to Ernakulam, Ernakulam to Kayamkulam, Kayamkulam to Thiruvananthapuram, and Thiruvananthapuram to Nagercoil. The expansion is aimed at enhancing the rail network capacity to allow for more train services in the state.

Once completed, these capacity upgrades will enable the introduction of new trains and reduce congestion on Kerala’s overburdened railway lines. The development is part of the Centre’s broader effort to modernize railway infrastructure in southern India.