THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has formed a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary to examine and finalise the alignment for the proposed metro rail project in Thiruvananthapuram. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday.
The committee comprises secretaries from the revenue, finance, local self-government, and transport departments, and has been tasked with studying all aspects of the project and submitting its recommendations to the government.
Three main corridors are under consideration for the metro rail: from Kazhakkoottam to Pappanamcode, Kazhakkoottam to Killipalam, and Palayam to the Civil Station. The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) appointed to implement metro projects in the state, had submitted a proposal several months ago suggesting six different alignments for the conventional metro.
The proposal includes both underground and elevated stretches, but officials have indicated that underground construction would be significantly costlier for the state.
The metro project in Thiruvananthapuram was conceptualised over a decade ago, but successive governments failed to push it forward.
Initially, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had proposed a monorail system for the city. This was later replaced with a plan for a light metro, for which a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted.