Kochi Metro Phase II Construction Work To begin In January 2023 At A Cost Of Rs 1,957 Crore

In January 2023, Kerala’s Kochi Metro is planning to begin construction on its new line which will have 11 stations covering a length of over 11 km.

The Kochi Metro Rail Phase II network connects Ernakulam City Centre to the suburbs of Infopark and Kakkanad.

The Phase II of the project was approved by the Union cabinet last week at a cost of Rs 1,957.05 crore.

On Wednesday (14 September), the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) began a drone-based LiDAR (light detection and ranging) survey as part of the preliminary design and planning works for the metro's Phase II.

The Union and the state governments would each contribute 16.23 per cent of the overall cost for Phase II, with the remaining coming from loans from bilateral or multilateral organisations.

In the form of “subordinate debt for 50 per cent of central taxes”, the Union government and the Kerala government would each contribute 3.77 per cent of the total cost.

By the end of this week, KMRL will start the tendering process and invite project management experts.

As part of the road-widening projects from Palarivattom Junction to Infopark, about 75 per cent of the land acquisition has been finished. The remaining land acquisition in this stretch is nearing completion.

By the first week of October, a geotechnical investigation will start.

“The survey results will be used to fine-tune the metro alignment. It would also be beneficial to plan non-motorised transportation initiatives and first and last mile connectivity in the new stretch," a report in Economic Times said, quoting a KMRL statement.

By November or the beginning of December, the metro authority intends to release construction tenders.

In July 2018, the Kerala government approved Kochi Metro's Phase II project, with an 11.2 km Pink Line including 11 stops.

Phase II Metro will link Water Metro at InfoPark Jetty and Kakkanad Jetty.

It will connect important residential and commercial hubs in the city with well-known transit hubs like railway stations and bus stops, strengthening the idea of multi-modal integration and first/last mile connectivity.

On 1 September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Petta-SN Junction extension and laid the foundation for Phase II of the Kochi Metro Rail Network.

The proposed stations are Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (new station box), Palarivattom Junction, Palarivattom Bypass, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Padamughal (formerly Kunnumpuram), Kakkanad Junction, Cochin SEZ (Special Economic Zone), Chittethukara, KINFRA (formerly Rajagiri), InfoPark 1/Smart City 1, and InfoPark 2/Smart City 2.

The first phase of Kochi Metro from Aluva to Petta, covering a length of 25.6 km with 22 stations, was completed at a cost of Rs 5,181.79 crore, and is now fully operational.