A 22.20-km monorail, an elevated rail-based mass rapid transit system (MRTS), has been recommended in the Technocity – Pallippuram – Kazhakuttom – Uloor –Kesavadasapuram – Pattom – Palayam – Thampanoor –Killipalam - Karamana stretch of the capital.
The Monorail, with 19 stations in the first phase, will have provisions to extend to the south up to Neyyattinkara in Phase II and towards north as the Technocity expands, as per the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and presented to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Tuesday.
The project stretch had been divided into three sections - Technocity to Karyavattom (7 km), Karyavattom to Kesavadasapuram (8 km), and Kesavadasapuram to Karamana (8 km) for speedy implementation of the project in five years.
The first section could be commissioned in 30 months after the turnkey contractor was finalised. The second stretch, the biggest hurdle, could be taken up only after the roads were widened. The DMRC had suggested that widening of the Karyavattom -Kesavadasapuram stretch should be handed over to a special agency like the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation. A special land acquisition officer should also be posted, it said.
A car depot had been suggested at the Technocity end on 20 acres of government land. The stations had been mooted at Technocity, Pallippuram, Kaniyapuram, Kazhakuttom, Kazhakuttom Junction, Karyavattom, Gurumandiram, Pangappara, Sreekariyam, Pongumoodu, Ulloor, Kesavadasapuram, Pattom, Plamoodu, Palayam, Secretariat, Thampanoor, Killipalam, and Karamana.
Presenting the DPR, DMRC Principal Adviser E. Sreedharan said there were provisions for flyovers at Kazhakuttom, Sreekaryam, Ulloor, Pattom, and Plamoodu Junctions. The stations at Kesavadasapuram and Thampanoor had been planned as junction stations for future monorail lines coming from MC Road side and Manorama Road side.
The projected traffic per day in 2015-16 would be 2.46 lakh; 2.67 lakh in 2021-22; 2.88 lakh in 2031-32; and 3.27 in 2041-42. The fares suggested varied from the minimum of Rs.8 for two km to Rs.30 for 18-24 km. However, the minimum fare projected for 2019 is Rs.11 and the maximum Rs.42.
The design of civil structures and specifications for systems and train sets were exactly the same mooted for the Kozhikode Monorail. The monorail would be fully elevated. The two-track beams would be on circular pillars about 30 metres apart, along the median of the road. Platforms would be on top of the road and all stations would have lifts and staircase.
Each train would consist of three cars with a carrying capacity of 525 persons. Cars will have aluminium body and would run on rubber tyres. It would be fully air-conditioned and the vestibules would be wide.
Communication Based Train Control, the latest signalling system that allowed trains to run safely every 2 minutes, had been recommended to cater to the traffic demand up to 2041.
Initially, trains would run every 5.5 minutes during peak hours. Driverless trains had been proposed. For safety, guards would be present.
Two receiving sub-stations, one at the depot at Technocity and the other at Kesavadasapuram had been proposed.
All the 19 stations would have a sub-station to meet power needs.
A total of 17.170 hectares of land was needed for the project. Of this, 13.750 hectares was government land, 0.58 hectares was with Railways, and 2.820 hectares with private parties. Mr. Sredharan said only 39 families and 65 shops would be affected.
The completion cost on April 2019 will be Rs.3,590 crore with the cost per route km being Rs.161.71 crore. Since the internal rate of return (IRR) IRR is very low (0.67 per cent), the DMRC had said no private party will come forward to invest.
The monorail will have to be fully funded through Government initiative. It has suggested four funding operations, including a step loan from JICA.
Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd (KMCL), the Special Purpose Vehicle, will implement the project.
The civil works and all systems including rolling stock should be packaged into one single contract and entrusted to the turnkey contractor.
