Work on all 11 stations in the 13-km-long Aluva-Palarivattom corridor of the Kochi metro rail is expected to be completed by March 10 in view of the expected commissioning of the stretch by March 31.
“Work on the left side entry/exit of Edappally station and the right side entry/exit of Changampuzha Park station will take up to 10 more days, but will be over by March 31,” metro sources said.
All stations will soon be handed over by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) for work on interiors. The finishing touches are expected to be done in a fortnight.
At the Kalamassery station, one of the biggest metro stations, much attention has been given to details and aesthetics to ensure hassle-free travel for commuters.
Differently abled-friendly
Both the metro agencies have gone the extra mile to ensure the safety and comfort of differently abled passengers and senior citizens. Escalators and elevators take them and other commuters from the ground floor to the concourse space on the first floor and from there to the second floor where the platform is located.
Tactile tiles paved along the 30-mm thick unpolished granite flooring lead visually-impaired people from the stairway to ticket counters and from there to the stairway leading to the platform. Similarly, the ticket counter for differently abled-commuters is at a lower height than the other three counters. Wheelchairs can be rolled into trains and can be fastened as well.
A steel-framed bridge links the entry/exit with the concourse space. At the centre of the concourse is a customer care office where enquiries can be made. There is also a station control room and security cabin.
Hand rails have been fitted on both sides of stairs to help commuters. Dozens of CCTV cameras record movement of passengers on the station premises. Automatic fare collection gates that arrived from Turkey are being installed. Apart from enabling swiping of pre-paid smart cards, they also do safety screening of passengers. Sleek public-address boxes will impart information on safety and train arrivals. Turquoise-coloured direction boards are being erected to guide commuters.
The tree-thick pillars that support the cantilevered station buildings have been covered with toughened glass and aluminium composite panels. False ceilings add to the aesthetics.
Platforms
The station platforms are 81 metres long and have a mix of polycarbonate (through which sunlight percolates) and galvalume sheets as roof. Signs on the third rail fitted beside the rails warn people to keep off it since it carries 750-volt power. Fire extinguishers are stacked on each platform.
Evacuation walkway
An evacuation walkway has been built on both sides of the rails, through which commuters can walk to the nearest station in case of emergency. The stations and metro viaduct up to the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium are being built by L&T, while work on entry/exit was handed over to sub contractors.
Parking space is available on both sides of the station, while smaller stations have only limited space for vehicles.
Theme
The station has the Western Ghats as its theme. There are paintings of hornbills and a herd of elephants in the jungles. The exterior of stations have similar design while the concourse space is unique and carry a different theme for each station.
The Cusat station has the history of sea voyages to Kochi as its theme while the theme for Changanpuzha Park station is the city’s cultural history.
Station-naming rights
The tender for suffixing names of reputed firms and institutions with the name of each station will be floated in a week.
