Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Kochi Metro’s 1.8 km Pettah-S. N. Junction extension (Phase 1-A) and also lay foundation stone for the the metro’s 11.20 km Phase-2 corridor from JLN international stadium to Infopark in Kakkanad, online from CIAL trade fair and exhibition centre.
Governor Arif Muhammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be among those present at the function.
Trains will commence service in the S. N. Junction extension soon after. There are two stations in Phase 1-A and 11 stations in Phase-2.
Railway projects
He will also launch online the redevelopment works of Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town and Kollam railway stations to convert them as world class railway stations, and dedicate the Kollam-Punalur electrified line to the nation. A new MEMU train is expected to operate in the newly electrified stretch.
The two railway stations in Ernakulam would be redeveloped under a ₹669 cr project. Test piling commenced earlier this month at Ernakulam Junction station. The two station buildings will be pulled down in three phases, to cause least inconvenience to people and new multi-storeyed ones built in two years, according to Railway sources.
The Commissioner for Railway Safety had issued safety certificate for Kochi Metro’s ₹453 crore Pettah-SN Junction extension (Phase 1-A) in June. There are two stations in the extension. The one at Vadakkekotta will be spread over 4.30 lakh sqft, including vast commercial area, becoming the biggest of all 24 metro stations.
The Phase 1-A extension was the first metro work directly taken up by Kochi Metro Rail Limited. With its inauguration, Kochi Metro will cover a total distance of around 27 km. The metro agency has been eyeing a daily passenger patronage of over 1 lakh with trains operating up to S. N. Junction in Tripunithura.
On completion, the combined Phase 1 (which would include the SN Jn.-Tripunithura extension) and Phase 2 up to Infopark will link major residential and commercial hubs in the city with prominent transit hubs such as railway stations and bus stands, reinforcing the concept of multi-modal integration and first/last mile connectivity, KMRL sources said.
As the S. N. junction and Vadakkekotta stations are opening for revenue operations, KMRL is expecting that Kochi metro trains get an average of one lakh commuters per day.
