Kochi Metro

Work on the Kochi Metro's new Pink Line, an 11.20-km stretch extending the network to Kakkanad, is moving faster, officials told The Hindu.

Around 70% of the elevated track structure, or viaduct, has already been built, and the agency is now preparing to start laying the actual rail tracks.

The line will run through 11 stations: Palarivattom Junction, Alinchuvadu, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Padamugal, Civil Station Junction, Cochin SEZ, Chittettukara, KINFRA Park, Infopark and Smart City.

At 10 of these stops, commuters will be able to step on and off from either side of the street, since each station is getting gateways facing both directions of traffic. The lone exception is the Smart City terminus, where passengers will only have a gateway on one side, and a connecting footbridge will carry them across to reach the platform.

Progress varies station by station: the gateways at Chittetukara are finished on both sides, while at KINFRA Park only one side is done. At Vazhakkala, the building frame on one side is ready and finishing work has started. Officials expect the building frames on one side each at Civil Station Junction and Cochin SEZ to be ready by early December.

Giving commuters access from both sides of busy roads should make the stations easier to reach without long detours or crossings, an important factor for a route serving IT hubs like Infopark and Cochin SEZ.

Faster construction progress also signals that a stretch which has faced delays, including land-related holdups at some stations, is now moving toward a firmer completion target.

Land needed for gateway construction at Chembumukku has now been secured after earlier delays, and remaining work there is expected to speed up on both sides.

Similar land issues held up one-side construction at Palarivattom Junction and Padamugal, but officials expect the necessary plots to be acquired by the end of December.

Ready-made station components are being built at a casting yard and will be trucked in and fitted at each site, after which crews will finish the architecture and install tracks, signals, telecom gear, lifts and escalators, with the whole line targeted for completion by August 2027.