KOCHI: The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) have come to the discussion table for exploring the possibility of extending the Kochi Metro to the airport so that more footfalls can be ensured for Kochi Metro even as CIAL passengers are benefited.
The outgoing KRML Managing Director A P M Muhammed Hanish held discussions with the CIAL top officials in this regard recently and the KMRL held a survey also for the same, according to a CIAL official.
According to the official CIAL has earmarked an area for the Metro station near the T3 international terminal of Cochin airport and had also designed the road from Athani junction to airport leaving enough space for Metro pillars.
"Two alignments are under consideration for the Metro. The first one can branch out to airport at Athani junction while the main linne proceeds from the junction to Angamaly. The other alignment is through the Airport-Angamaly road after the Metro touches airport from Athani. The selection will be made only in advanced discussions," said the official.
The official said that no decision has been arrived on who would bear the cost of constructing the Metro to the airport. A senior DMRC engineer said that the civil construction cost per kilometre alone would come to Rs 50 crore.
The Athani junction-airport stretch would come close to 5 km and the civil construction cost alone on the stretch would come to Rs 250 crore.
"A proposal for cost sharing between KMRL and CIAL for constructingg the Metro to the airport could be a possibility and all will depend on the report to be made by the new mangaing director of KMRL and the decision taken by the Kerala Government which has majority stake in CIAL," said informed sources.
The Phase 3 stretch of Kochi Metro from Aluva to Angamaly is expected to be around 20 km, including the airport connectivity. The Urban Mass Transit Company Ltd (UMTC) has been awarded the consultancy work for the updation of the Detailed Project Report for the stretch from Aluva to Angamaly including the airport link.
The Urban Mass Transit Company Ltd (UMTC) is a public limited company, promoted by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and IL&FS (with 50% shareholding)and is chaired by the Secretary, MoUD.
