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KOCHI (Metro Rail News): Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has received the complete consignment of steel rails for the 11.2 km Phase 2 corridor, also known as Pink Line. The corridor will run from the JLN Stadium to Info Park via Kakkanad and will have 11 stations. The arrival of the full rail consignment marks an important milestone ahead of track installation on the Kochi Metro Corridor.
specification and quality checks of Kochi Metro Phase 2
The consignment consists of 2,444 rail pieces each, 18 meters long. Together the rail will cover 44 track km and weigh around 2,700 metric tonnes. Jindal Steel Limited manufactured the head-hardened rails at its Raigarh facility in Chhattisgarh. The rails meet the international EN 1367-1 standard and can handle regular urban transit loads while offering better durability and lower wear over time.
KMRL will use these rails for the corridor’s slab track system, which fixes the rail to a concrete base instead of stone ballast. KMRL, general consultant SYSTRA, and inspection agency RITES supervised the manufacturing clearance and quality checks.
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Next step track installation
With the full rail supply and alignment/design work completed, KMRL can now prepare for track installation as it hands over the elevated sections of the corridor. KMRL said that track laying will proceed section by section after the completion of other pending works.
The arrival of the rails marks an important supply and readiness milestone, but the track-laying work has not started yet. Texmeco Rail & Engineering is the contractor for track works, while Prime Rail carried out track alignment and design for the corridor.
Kochi Metro Phase 2 corridor details
Kochi Metro Phase 2 spans 11.2 km and comprises 11 stations, running from JLN Stadium to Infopark and SmartCity via Kakkanad. The alignment includes stations serving:
- District Headquarters
- Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ)
- KINFRA
- Rajagiri Vidyapeetham
- Infopark
- SmartCity
The corridor links central Kochi with the city’s major IT, administrative and commercial hub in Kakkanad.
Delays, revisions and the road to 2027
The Phase 2 project has faced delays related to utility shifting, land acquisition and funding related clearances. As a result, KMRL has moved away from its earlier plan to commission the corridor in partial stages and is now targeting full-corridor commissioning by August 2027. Integrated and testing of systems are expected to follow completion of civil and track works, ahead of the revised opening target.
Rail Consignment complete
Kochi Metro Phase 2 is an extension of the Kochi Metro network’s operational Blue Line, designed to extend connectivity from central Kochi to the Kakkanad IT corridor. The rail consignment milestone comes as KMRL continues civil construction, station works and utility relocation along the corridor in preparation for track and systems installation.
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