The Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents' Associations (TRURA), in a memorandum to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has requested an extension of the proposed metro rail line, which terminates at Petta, to Tripunithura.
Tripunithura town's proximity to the upcoming Smart City, the Civil Station at Kakkanad, the pilgrimage centre of Chottanikkara, and several industries is a reason for it to be the terminal point of the metro rail. The town is also an entry point to Idukki and Kottayam districts.
TRURA says that Petta, which has been decided as a terminal of Kochi Metro in the first phase, does not have the space to accommodate the required facilities such as a metro station-cum-commercial complex, parking area for commuters and loco service station.
As Petta is a thickly populated area, large scale eviction would be needed to set up a metro terminal. TRURA believes that if the metro rail is extended 2 km eastwards to Tripunithura, near the yard of the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), which is also located near the Tripunithura Railway Station, the space and other requirements could be met easily with the ten acres of unused land available with SAIL.
Close proximity to the railway station, the proposed municipal bus terminal and easy access to Seaport-Airport Road would be an added advantage for the extension of metro rail upto Tripunithura, V.P. Prasad, chairman, TRURA, and V.C. Jayendran, convener, said in a press release.