Ninety per cent of the works on Kochi metro’s Maharaja’s College Ground-Thykoodam corridor are over in tune with the plan of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to throw open the 5.75-km-long corridor in July.
The opening of the stretch is expected to increase the number of metro commuters since it would have six additional stops. They include stops at busy junctions such as Ernakulam Junction railway station, Kadavanthra and Vyttila. “Our current patronage hovers at over 30,000 people per day. This would cross the 50,000 mark once the metro network is extended from 18 km to 24 km,” KMRL sources said.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the metro’s executing agency, is in the final lap of laying tracks on the 5.75-km viaduct. Laying of tracks in either direction is almost over on the metro viaduct on the stretch.
Track-laying is getting over on the Vyttila-Kadavanthra and Maharaja’s Ground-Ernakulam Junction railway station stretches. It will shortly be laid in the missing links, which include the 95-metre-long balanced cantilever viaduct over tracks at the railway station. Tracks are being welded together for placing atop the Vyttila-Thykoodam viaduct, said Dani Thomas, Kochi Project Director of DMRC.
Laying of girders at missing links and at Vyttila Junction is slated to be over by month-end.
Stations
Elaborating on the progress of work on metro stations, he said that Kadavanthra and Elamkulam stations are nearing completion. “Equipment and rooms are being handed over to systems contractors for traction and signalling works. Work on entry and exit on one side of each of the six stations is getting over. They will be ready on both sides by July, prior to commissioning the stretch. The second entry and exit may take a month or more in Ernakulam Junction,” he said.
Once DMRC completes work on stations, they will be handed over to KMRL for doing up the interiors on different themes. The work can be done even after commissioning the extension, as was done for the Aluva-Maharaja’s Ground stretch.
Two contracting firms which were entrusted with work on the viaduct and stations had been partially offloaded of works on the stations after their inability to adhere to deadlines set by DMRC. The works were thus handed over to other contractors.
Pettah extension
Responding to the progress of work on the 1.5-km-long Thykoodam-Pettah viaduct, Mr. Thomas said that 20 more piles are pending and they will be done this month. The stretch would be readied for inspection by the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety before July 2020.
