Connecting Kochi Faster: Progress on the Pink Line

The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has made notable strides in the construction of Phase-II of the Kochi Metro, particularly in the production of structural components for the 11.2-km Pink Line connecting JLN Stadium to Infopark.

A key development in this phase is the creation of an 8.85-hectare casting yard in Kalamassery, which has become the hub for manufacturing critical superstructure elements like pier caps and girders. This marks a significant shift from Phase-I, as components above the piers for station construction are now being fabricated at the yard, greatly accelerating the construction timeline. Already, the casting of four pier caps and four U-girders has been completed.

The yard is organized into two main sections: one dedicated to the production of U-girders, equipped with four 100-ton gantry cranes, and another for fabricating I-girders, pier caps, parapets, T-girders, and L-girders using six gantry cranes of varying capacities, ranging from 10 to 120 tons. To ensure the highest standards of quality, KMRL has also set up a quality control laboratory, along with a concrete batching lab, at the yard. Additionally, a concrete waste recycling plant has been introduced to reduce the environmental footprint of the project.

For Phase-II, a total of 500 U-girders, 580 I-girders, and 354 pier caps are planned for the viaduct construction. Station construction will require 100 U-girders, 120 pier arms, 400 T-girders, and 200 L-girders. KMRL has confirmed that 307 piles have already been installed. The viaduct construction contract has been awarded to Afcons, with an expected completion time of 20 months.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.