KOCHI: The much-awaited Kochi Metro second phase project – involving an 11.2-km elevated line from JLN Stadium to Infopark via Kakkanad – has suffered a delay of nearly 100 days. At the same time, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is confident of opening the first five stations on the new line for operations by June 30 next year.
“We’re currently behind almost 100 days and have already told them (Afcons Infrastructure, which is implementing the civil construction work) to expedite work with more manpower and better planning,” KMRL managing director Loknath Behera told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of UPI-based ticket vending machines (TVMs).
He said the other five stations are slated to be opened by December 31, 2026. “Unexpected issues like utility shifting and pipeline work delayed the construction. We’ll try our best to meet the target date,” he said.
The delay in getting the loan (nearly Rs 914 crore) from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is another reason. Despite the KMRL board approving the loan proposal, the state government has yet to give its nod.