THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) is in the final stage of preparing the detailed feasibility study of the much-awaited monorail project in the city. Sources at the Transportation Planning and Safety Wing of NATPAC said that the report would be submitted to the government by February-end. "The survey team of NATPAC which quizzed passengers on the route received an encouraging response to the new mode of transport,’’ an official said.
"The respondents were also asked about the money that they would be ready to spend for travel on monorail cars,’’ he said.
According to the revised alignment, the elevated monorail will connect Mangalapuram and Neyyattinkara with stops at important points at a distance of around one-and-a-half kilometres. It will pass through Pallippuram, Kazhakkoottam, Kariavattom, Ulloor and Kesavadasapuram via the MG Road past Pattom, East Fort and later through the NH-47 through Karamana, Balaramapuram to Neyyattinkara.
The train would run at a speed of 40 km per hour. The 45-km project would cost Rs 150 crore per kilometre, according to initial estimates.
The feasibility study was conducted by a core team comprising five scientists of NATPAC and various survey teams. Topographic studies, identification of stations and surveys were the main components of the study.
The monorail project is expected to save the city and suburbs from the current traffic snarls. Around 40 per cent of the traffic on the city roads could be shifted to the four-car train, experts say.
Zero-per cent environment pollution makes the project favourable to the Kerala conditions. As the transport system needs only minimal space, both horizontally and vertically, the number of evictions would be very low. The electricity-run monorail cars will have rubber tyres, which would avoid sound pollution. Horizontal open space on the elevated portion will not prevent natural light under the tracks.
The stations are conceived in two levels, which will house the ticket counters.