KOCHI: What if Kochi’s daily commuters and tourists could travel from Fort Kochi to Maharajas College by a ropeway, skipping the busy roads below? Former Delhi Metro managing director E Sreedharan has put forward the idea, proposing an urban ropeway from Fort Kochi to Maharaja’s College via Mattancherry and Willingdon Island as the city considers its future public transport options.
In a letter to the KMRL managing director on Thursday, accessed by TNIE, Sreedharan wrote that Kochi needs an urban ropeway system from Fort Kochi through these areas.
“Urban Ropeways are becoming more attractive as the ridership is about 5,000 to 6,000 per hour and roads are not wide enough to install a metro system,” noted Sreedharan.
Citing urban ropeway systems in Bolivia, Mexico and the recently completed Varanasi system, he said such systems had reportedly proved successful. A ropeway system, he said, would cost only about one-third of a metro system.
Before deciding on a third metro line for Kochi, Sreedharan suggested that KMRL’s technical director visit Varanasi to study its ropeway system. He also recommended similar visits to Bolivia and Mexico.
The proposal comes amid Sreedharan’s reservations about the proposed Aluva-Angamaly Metro extension via Nedumbassery, which he termed “not desirable”.
He said the extension could face a serious ridership challenge with other rail facilities planned to connect the airport. Instead, he has suggested KMRL to consider an elevated metro line from Aroor to Varapuzha via Edappally, following the National Highway bypass.
Sreedharan pointed to a new railway station that Southern Railway is set to open at Nedumbassery Airport and a high-speed rail line proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) from Tripunithura and Palarivattom to the airport. The latter, he said, would have a running time of only 10 minutes and a fare of around Rs 100.
“If these two additional facilities come, there will be no users for the metro line,” Sreedharan said, citing the proposed facilities as one of the reasons he considers the Aluva-Angamaly extension undesirable.
He also raised concerns over the financial viability of an airport Metro connection, citing his experience with the Delhi Metro airport link. Despite carrying more than 60,000 passengers, the line was not making operational profits, he said.
“This was despite all civil and track works being fully funded by DMRC, with the operator required to fund only the rolling stock, signalling and telecommunications (S&T) and overhead electrification (OHE). Therefore, it will be a great financial burden to KMRL,” he said.
Instead, Sreedharan suggested an elevated Metro corridor from Aroor to Varapuzha via Edappally, along the National Highway bypass, as the third Metro line for Kochi. A copy of the letter has been sent to the Secretary, Transport Department.