KOCHI: Work on the Tripunithura metro station is set to commence by September this year, according to sources in the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). With the completion of land acquisition for the 1.2km stretch from SN Junction to Tripunithura terminal, the overall phy``sical progress of the work is currently at 65 per cent, says an official.
“For the Phase-1B project, about 6.5 acres had to be acquired for the construction of the station and viaduct; the process is over,” he adds. “The Tripunithura station will be constructed on an area of 1.38 lakh sq.ft.” Tripunithura Municipality Chairman K K Pradeep, understandably, is excited. “The upcoming metro terminal will transform the area into a major transport hub, with different modes of transportation available from a single area,” he says. “The metro station will be interlinked with the Tripunithura railway station and bus stand.”
Pradeep notes the Water Metro service on Vytilla to Kakkanad route covers Eroor jetty, which is close to the Tripunithura metro station. Commuters from Kottayam, Piravom, Vaikom and Tripunithura to the city centre also cheer the development. “I travel for work from Piravom to the city five days a week. Earlier, I had to depend on my motorcycle, but, with the expansion of metro service to SN Junction, I take the metro train,” says Kumaran Nair, who works at a private firm near Elamkulam.
“I have observed that many people boarding the metro train from SN junction during office hours hail from the Piravom and Vaikom areas. Metro trains are comfortable, especially in this scorching hot summer season, easily accessible and budget-friendly.”
Spike in ridership
Initially, when the Kochi Metro began its operation, the daily ridership was between 12,000 and 13,000 per day. “Implementing various discount schemes and gradual expansion from Aluva to Tripunithura side have helped boost ridership,” says KMRL managing director Loknath Behera. “By January 2023, we registered around 80,000 to 90,000 riders per day. On special occasions, the numbers go higher.”
Metro officials are hopeful that with the extension Tripunithura, the daily ridership would cross one lakh per day. Earlier, the one-lakh figure was achieved during MG University Arts Festival and Shivratri period.
Infopark stretch
Civil work on the 11.2km Phase 2 stretch from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Infopark will begin by March 25, confirms Behera. He adds that the deadline for the completion of work is 2026.
The stretch will include 11 stations – Palarivattom Jn, Palarivattom signal, Chembumukku, Vazhakala, Kunnumpuram, Kakkanad Junction, Kochi Special Economic Zone, Chittethukara, Rajagiri, Inforpark Phase-I and Infopark Phase-II. Land acquisition has been completed, and the works on building drains and ducts will be finished soon, says a KMRL official.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,577 crore. When asked about the funding crunch after the French development agency AFD backed out from the project, the official says “discussions are on with other agencies”. “Funds allocated by the government are enough to begin the initial work,” he adds.
Revenue generation
“For the current fiscal, our revenue target is Rs 69.52 crore from fare boxes (metro ridership). As of January 31, 2023, we have achieved Rs 62.58 crore (which is 90 per cent of the target). “We will exceed our target in March,” says Behera.
Currently, the ratio of the non-fare and fare revenue of KMRL is at 40:60. Generating revenue from the non-fare box has been a task for KMRL. “Our target was Rs 47.53 crore, and we achieved Rs 36.74 crore as of January 31 (77.3 per cent of the target),” says Behera.
“We have plans to increase our non-fare box revenue by organising various events, and renting out spaces for shows as we did for the ‘Paltu Janwar’ dog show earlier this month.”
In a nutshell
Phase 1 total project cost: Rs 5,181.79 crore