KOCHI: Even as Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have divergent views on the commissioning of the Aluva-Palarivattom metro corridor, DMRC officials say all mandatory clearances for commencement of regular train services will be obtained by mid-April.
Sources in KMRL said only 90% work at the 11 metro stations in the 13-km corridor is over. “Many interior works and cladding works on exteriors are pending. We do not want [DMRC] to rush with the works since it might have a fallout on quality,” they added.
Sources said KMRL was keen on completing all pending works before the corridor was commissioned.
Meanwhile, DMRC officials said only works totalling ₹15 crore were pending at the 11 stations in the corridor. “This works out to approximately 0.03% of the metro’s total project cost of ₹5,200 crore. Every effort is being made to complete all pending works, which include covering station exteriors using aluminium composite panels. Works on entry/exit on one side each of Edappally and Changampuzha Park stations too are pending. They may take a month or so,” the officials added.
Clearances shortly
Elaborating on the timeline for obtaining various safety clearances, DMRC officials said a New Delhi-based electrical inspector had already issued the certificate. The State Fire and Rescue Services Department has already inspected the corridor and will issue its certificate on April 1. This will be followed by an independent international agency clearing the metro’s signalling and telecommunication system by April 3 or 4.
The Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) is expected to inspect the corridor on April 10. He will inspect the other clearance certificates prior to this and is expected to issue his safety certificate by mid-April, clearing the decks for commissioning the 13-km corridor.
Pending works like panelling of station exteriors and completing entry-exit on one side of two stations have no bearing on operationalising the metro, since it does not affect passengers in any way. Referring to the Delhi Metro, the officials said numerous works on stations were completed after the CMRS inspection and commissioning of the project.
The key elements that the CMRS will inspect in each station are concourse, platforms, lights, public announcement system, availability of toilets, and aspects like integration among various systems, they said.
