KOCHI (Metro Rail News): Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is planning an extension of the proposed Metro line from Aluva to Cochin International Airport Ltd (Cial) further northeast to provide connectivity to the upcoming GIFT City at Ayyampuzha.
The decision comes as part of the comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) that aims to identify suitable models for various Metro line proposals in the city. KMRL will proceed with the GIFT City extension based on the recommendations outlined in the CMP.
Emphasizing the importance of Metro and road connectivity in attracting investors, P Rajeeve stated that the government is actively considering the extension of Kochi Metro to the GIFT City site.
P. Rajeeve further explained that once the land acquisition procedures for GIFT City are completed, the Centre and the state government will form a joint venture company to implement the project. Following this, a detailed proposal regarding the Metro extension will be submitted to the Centre.
Loknath Behera, MD of KMRL, highlighted that the project’s specifics could only be determined after the finalization of the CMP. GIFT City, a significant component of the Kochi-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor project under the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust, is set to be developed on 360 acres of land in the Ayyampuzha panchayat near Angamaly, approximately 15 km away from Cial.
However, as the compensation amount has been revised to Rs 850 crore, the project approval from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and various departments. The minister projected that the acquisition process would be completed by September this year, with the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) already preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the GIFT City project.
Will Kochi metro connect the original Kochi? Don’t they study traffic patterns? When will they ensure adequate parking in stations and last mile connectivity from stations to homes/workplaces? Theae politicians are only talking grand with no action on ground.