KOCHI (Metro Rail News): Union cabinet has approved the second phase of the Kochi Metro Rail project, which would pass through 11 stations and cover a distance of more than 11 kilometers. A central government statement claims that the project’s preliminary work, including the enlargement of the road close to the airport, is in progress. It is estimated that the project will cost Rs 1,957 crore.
The first phase of the project, which started in Aluva and ended at Petta, is fully operational since December 2014. The second phase will be stretched from the JLN Stadium to Infopark and will also pass Kakkanad. It was inaugurated in 2017 by the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The Kochi Metro Rail project’s first phase, which is its elevated section, is being carried out as a state-sector project. At an estimated cost of Rs. 710.93 crores, a 1.80-kilometre viaduct between Petta and SN Junction is being constructed. The 1.20 km Kochi Metro Phase 1 B Project from SN Junction to Thripunithura Terminal is also being constructed as a state-funded project.
On September 1, PM Modi flagged off Phase 1A, the first section of the Kochi Metro Rail that runs from SN Junction to Vadakkekottaon. He also formally erected Kochi Metro Phase 2’s foundation. Construction work on the Panamkutty bridge, SN Junction stations, and Vadakkekotta stations began on October 16, 2019.
The Kochi Metro Rail project’s combined Phases I and II will connect the city’s residential and commercial districts with important transit hubs. As a result, the idea of multi-modal connectivity will be strengthened.
Vadakkekotta is the largest metro station, With a total area of 4.3 lakh square feet making it the most commercially oriented building in the city.
The city of Kochi, which is situated in Kerala with the highest population density, is a part of a larger metropolitan area. Its urban agglomeration as a whole is home to more than 300,000 residents.
