Ten of 11 stations on Kochi metro’s Pink Line to have entry/exit from both sides of road

With about 70% of the viaduct of the Kochi metro’s 11.20-km Kakkanad extension (Pink Line) complete and the laying of tracks set to begin, pending works on all 11 stations in the corridor are set to gather momentum after an initial lull. This is in keeping with the revised deadline of August 2027, which has been set to complete the works on the extension, official sources said.

Contrary to the perception that a few stations will have entry/exit only from one side of the road, 10 of the 11 stations will have entry/exit from both sides of the road beneath the upcoming metro extension. The terminal station, whose work is set to begin on the Smart City premises, will have entry/exit only on the right hand side, while a foot overbridge will provide a link for members of the public to access the station, they added.

The structural work on the entry/exit of the Chittetukara station is over on both the left hand side and the right hand side of the road, while that of the left-hand side of the KINFRA Park station is over. Work on the right hand side of the Vazhakkala station is over, and architectural work has begun. Structural works on the left hand side entry/exit of the stations at Civil Station Junction and Cochin SEZ are scheduled to be completed by the first week of December.

The foundation works of the entry/exit of the Chembumukku station whose land acquisition suffered delay is over, and rest of the works is set to gather pace on both sides of the road, it is learnt.

Metro sources attributed the delay in commencing work on the right hand side entry/exit of Palarivattom Junction and Padamugal stations to hassles associated with land acquisition. The requisite plots of land for the two stations will be acquired by the end of December. The pending works on most metro stations will gather pace in the coming weeks, since the requisite pre-fabricated structures are ready at the casting yard. They will be transported in lorries and launched at the stations concerned. This will be followed by architectural works, laying of tracks, and installation of signals and telecommunication equipment, lifts and escalators, to name a few.

The first station on the Pink Line is at Palarivattom Junction, followed by stations at Alinchuvadu, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Padamugal, Civil Station Junction, Cochin SEZ, Chittettukara, KINFRA Park, Infopark, and Smart City.