New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) The Delhi metro will provide consultancy for construction of a high-speed rail corridor in Kerala – linking capital Thiruvananthapuram with Kasaragod, an official said here Tuesday.

According to a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson, a memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed Tuesday between Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and the Delhi metro.

‘This is Delhi metro’s first-ever consultancy project for a high speed rail corridor. So far, DMRC has provided consultancy for the construction of metro corridors in various cities, including Bangalore and Jaipur,’ the spokesperson said.

The DMRC has to submit the traffic study report within three months from the date of agreement, the draft of pre-feasibility report has to be submitted in five months while the final pre-feasibility report is to be submitted in six months.

The total cost for preparing the report on the 550-km-long rail corridor will be Rs.10 crore.

The corridor will be a standard gauge and the trains will run at a speed of about 275-300 km per hour.

Kasaragod is a town in the northern part of Kerala.