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Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has received the complete supply of steel rails required for the 11.2-km Phase 2 corridor, also known as the Pink Line, which will connect JLN Stadium with Infopark via Kakkanad with 11 stations. The arrival of the full rail consignment is an important step towards beginning track installation.
Kochi Metro Receives Rail Consignment
The consignment includes 2,444 rail pieces, with each rail measuring 18 metres in length. Together, they will cover around 44 track km and weigh approximately 2,700 metric tonnes.
The head-hardened rails were manufactured by Jindal Steel Limited at its facility in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. They comply with the international EN 13674-1 standard and are designed to withstand regular urban transit loads while providing better durability and reduced wear.
KMRL will use the rails for the corridor's slab track system, where the rails are fixed directly to a concrete base instead of using stone ballast. KMRL, its general consultant SYSTRA, and inspection agency RITES supervised the manufacturing clearance and quality checks.
Track Alignment and Design Work
With the complete rail supply now available and the track alignment and design work finished, KMRL can move towards track installation as the elevated sections are handed over. However, track-laying work has not started yet and will be carried out section by section after other pending works are completed. Texmaco Rail & Engineering has been appointed for the track works, while Prime Rail handled the track alignment and design.
Kochi Metro Phase 2 Details
The 11.2-km Phase 2 corridor will have 11 stations and run from JLN Stadium to Infopark and SmartCity via Kakkanad. The alignment will serve important locations such as District Headquarters, Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ), KINFRA, Rajagiri Vidyapeetham, Infopark and SmartCity. The corridor is planned to improve connectivity between central Kochi and Kakkanad, which is an important IT, administrative and commercial hub.
Kochi Metro Phase 2 Project Faced Delays
Kochi Metro Phase 2 has faced delays because of issues related to utility shifting, land acquisition and funding-related clearances. Due to these delays, KMRL has moved away from its earlier plan of opening the corridor in stages.
The agency is now targeting full-corridor commissioning by August 2027. System integration and testing are expected to take place after the civil and track works are completed.