Work on the Kochi metro’s S.N. Junction-Thripunithura extension is expected to get over by September-end.
Trains which now terminate at S.N. Junction station will begin calling at the metro’s terminal station located next to the Thripunithura railway station, once the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety inspects the stretch and issues safety certificate.
The 1.5-km S.N. Junction-Thripunithura extension is expected to further the cause of seamless integration of multiple modes of public transport, since the Thripunithura municipality has mooted a bus terminal costing approximately ₹100 crore near the railway station on public-private partnership (PPP) basis.
This is the second extension of the metro that Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is executing all by itself, the first being the 1.8-km-long Pettah-S.N. Junction stretch. The agency had entrusted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with the construction of the 25-km Aluva-Pettah stretch.
Metro sources said 73% of work on the 1.2-km viaduct between S.N. Junction and Thripunithura station is over. The ongoing work, including laying of tracks and installation of signals, can be completed in a few months. Similarly, finishing work at the terminal station has begun and will get over by September. The station will have substantial space, including for commercial area and parking space.
Open-web girder
An interesting element of the viaduct construction is a 60-metre-long open-web steel girder that has come up across the bridge in between S.N. Junction and Thripunithura. This is often adopted for constructing lengthy girders.
Demand for extended road
Commensurate with the progress of work on the S.N. Junction-Thripunithura viaduct, the Thripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Associations (TRURA) has reiterated its demand for a 22-metre-wide, four-lane road beneath the metro’s S.N. Junction-Thripunithura viaduct and its extension to Hill Palace Road, which is a stone’s throw away from the upcoming terminal station. It has also petitioned Kerala High Court in this regard.
Member associations of TRURA had recently alleged that KMRL and the Thripunithura municipality were not keen on extending the road to Hill Palace Road which was located just 100 metres away. A probe must be conducted on how its width was reduced from the proposed 22 metres to just 16 metres, they said. The women’s wing of TRURA had staged a dharna at Statue Junction raising the demands and also seeking funds for the proposed bus terminal.
TRURA has, in addition, been demanding that the Railways permit more trains to halt at the Thripunithura station, which would also increase footfall in the metro. This in turn will save commuters the agony of commuting all the way by train to Ernakulam and returning to Thripunithura and nearby areas.
