Kozhikode Light Metro

Last updated

Calicut Metro
Cyber City Skyline.jpeg
Proposed Model Light Metro in Gurgaon
Overview
Locale Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Transit type Light Rapid Transit
Number of lines1 (Phase I)
Number of stations22 (Phase I)
Operation
Operation will startTBD
Operator(s) Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Limited
CharacterElevated
Train length3 Coaches
Technical
System length44 kilometres (27 mi)
No. of tracks2
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification 750 V DC   third rail
Top speed80 km/h (50 mph)

Kozhikode Light Metro is a proposed Light Metro system for the city of Kozhikode (Calicut), in India. In 2010, the State government explored the possibility of implementing a metro rail project for Kozhikode city and its suburbs. The proposal was to have a corridor connecting Meenchanda to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital through the heart of the city. An inception report was submitted by a Bangalore-based consultant, Wilber Smith, on the detailed feasibility study on the prospect of implementing the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) and Light Rail Transit System (LRTS) in the city. However, the project has been scrapped to be replaced by Kozhikode Monorail project.

Contents

The State Cabinet then decided to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement monorail projects in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, and administrative sanction was given in October 2012. [1] The state government issued orders entrusting the Thiruvananthapuram Monorail project to the KMCL on 26 November 2012. The government had handed over the Kozhikode Monorail project to the KMCL prior to that. [2] On 12 June 2013, the State Cabinet gave clearance for an agreement to be signed between KMCL and DMRC, that would make the latter the general consultant for the monorail projects in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. [3] The DMRC will receive a consultancy fee of 3.25% of the 55.81 billion ( 35.90 billion for Thiruvananthapuram and 19.91 billion for Kozhikode). [4] The agreement was signed on 19 June 2013. [5]

However, due to cost overrun and the cold response from the bidders the project was put on hold. Bombardier Transportation was the only bidder for the project. The project was later scrapped and Light metro was proposed. [6] [7] [8] [9]

History

The proposal

The Union Urban Development Ministry decided to consider the proposal for a Metro in Kozhikode after the success of the Delhi Metro and signed up for drawing the detailed project report (DPR) of the Rs.27.71 billion Kozhikode metro transport project with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation as a feasibility study for the introduction of suburban services in Kozhikode city. The Ministry decided to bear 50% of the cost of the preparation of the DPR for the city that comes under the population cut-off bracket. The preliminary feasibility study had been carried out by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) in association with the Kerala Road Fund Board in December 2008. Based on this feasibility report, the Board entrusted Wilber Smith to conduct the study in June 2009. Already, the NATPAC has submitted a metro rail project covering a total distance of 32.6 km from Karipur to the Calicut Medical College. The cost of the project was estimated at Rs. 27.71 billion and was expected be completed within five years. The monorail project which replaced the metro rail project was estimated to cost Rs 1,991 crore has received a bid from the lone bidder Bombardier consortium, and was almost double of the estimate. The project was scrapped and the Light Metro has been approved. [6] [7] [8] [9]

Proposed route

As per the proposal for Metro, it would start from Karipur Airport, touching Ramanattukara, Meenchanda, Mini- Bypass, Arayadathupalam and culminate at the Medical College. An estimated 2,083,000 people would get the benefits of the new transportation system by 2031. The project, which can be partly finished within three years, will be economically and technically feasible. However the detailed project report prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the alignment for Kozhikode Monorail is retained for the Light metro project.

The funding

The Union government was in favour of implementing the project with private participation, ruling out its own financial involvement. The Ministry of Urban Development and the Planning Commission were also against government investment in the project, and refused to accept it as a project in line with the Delhi Metro and Chennai Metro. The political rivalry between the earlier Left Front government in Kerala and the UPA government at the Centre was a major reason for such developments and the slow down in the project. The change in government in Kerala changed that scenario, making the Kozhikode Metro one of the top priorities of the UDF government. But later, not to affect the Kochi Metro project The Kerala cabinet under the Chief Ministership of Oommen Chandy decided to give clearance only for the Kozhikode Monorail project, replacing the Metro rail project.

The newly proposed Light Metro is proposed to be implemented as government initiative expecting a viability gap funding from the central and state government. Remaining fund is expected to be sourced internally and externally form competent agencies. [9]

Proposes

The project was proposed to cover a distance of 14.2 km with 15 stations, from Medical College Hostel to Meenchanda. [10] The car depot was proposed to be located about 500 metres (1,600 ft) east of the Medical College Hostel station on 5.20 hectares (12.8 acres) of vacant land owned by the government.

The monorail was proposed to be built in two phases. The first from Medical College to Mananchira and the second from Mananchira to Meenchantha. [10] Approximately 10.65 ha (26.3 acres) of land was to be required for the project, [11] of which 80% is government-owned land.

PhaseTerminalsLength (km)StationsOpening date
Phase I Medical College Mananchira
Phase IIMananchiraMeenchanda
TotalMedical CollegeMeenchanda14.2015

Kozhikode Monorail.png

Stations

Kozhikode monorail was proposed to have a total of 15 stations. [12]

#Station NameOpeningConnections
1Medical College HostelNone
2 Medical College None
3 Chevayur None
4ThondayadNone
5KottuliNone
6New Bus StandPrivate inter-city buses
7KSRTC KSRTC buses
8 Mananchira None
9PalayamPrivate intra-city buses
10 Railway Station Indian Railways
11PushpaNone
15 Kallayi None
13 Panniyankara None
14VattakkinarNone
15MeenchandaNone

Planned future expansion

The government had planned to extend the monorail to Civil Station and West Hill. It would have required 600 crore (US$75 million) for the 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) stretch connecting Malaparamba and Civil Station. [13]

Rolling stock

Each train will be made up of 3 coaches on the formation - leading car / intermediate car / leading car. The length and width of the cars will be 18m and 2.8m respectively. The total length of train will be approximately 59.94 m.

Each train has a capacity of approximately 800 passengers. The metro is designed to carry 30,000 passengers per hour.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in India</span> Methods and history of transportation in India

Transport in India consists of transport by land, water and air. Road transport is the primary mode of transport for most Indian citizens, and India's road transport systems are among the most heavily used in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. Sreedharan</span> Indian engineer (born 1932)

Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is an Indian engineer and politician from the Indian state of Kerala. He is credited with changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro while he served as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) between 1995 and 2012. Known as the Metro Man, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, the Chevalier de la Legion of Honour in 2005 by the Government of France and was named one of Asia's Heroes by Time magazine in 2003. Sreedharan was appointed by the former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to serve on the United Nations's High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST) for a period of three years in 2015. He is a member of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. He briefly served as a national executive council member of Bharatiya Janata Party, but later quit active politics in December 2021. he also worked as an advisor of Dhaka metro authority which is called Dhaka mass transit company limited under the railway ministry of people's republic of Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennai Metro</span> Rapid transit system in Chennai, India

Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, India. As of 2023, the operational network consists of two colour-coded lines covering a length of 54 kilometres (34 mi) making it the fourth longest metro system in India. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), a joint venture between Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu built and operates the Chennai Metro. The system uses standard gauge and has a mix of underground and elevated stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delhi Metro Rail Corporation</span> Indian metro railway company which serves Delhi and its sister cities

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is a centre-state joint venture that operates the Delhi Metro and Noida Metro. The DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail, and high-speed rail projects in India and abroad. The work of DMRC is broadly fragmented into various parts which are controlled by the respective directors under the direction of a managing director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roads in Kerala</span> Overview about roads in Kerala

Kerala, a state in Southern India, has a network of 11 National Highways, 72 State Highways and many district roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kochi Metro</span> Rapid transit system in Kochi, India

The Kochi Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi and the wider Kochi Metropolitan Region in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro projects in India. The Kochi metro project is the first metro system in the country which connects rail, road and water transport facilities. It is also the first metro rail system in India to be operated using the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, which requires minimum human intervention. The Kochi Water Metro is integrated with the Kochi Metro, which serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accessibility is limited.

Chennai Monorail was a proposal for a number of lines as part of mass transit system for the Indian city of Chennai. Originally the city planned to use monorail on all lines but many were subsequently changed to railways as part of the Chennai Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban rail transit in India</span> Overview of the urban rail transit system in India

Urban rail transit in India plays an important role in intracity transportation in the major cities which are highly populated. It consists of rapid transit, suburban rail, monorail and tram systems. According to a report published in 2021, a total of 2.63 billion people travelled annually in metro systems across India's sixteen major cities, placing the country as one of the busiest urban rapid transit hubs in the world in terms of ridership. The combined length of 895 kilometres of metro systems in India makes it the third longest in operation in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Oommen Chandy ministry</span> Period in Indian politics, 2011–2016

The United Democratic Front government led by Oommen Chandy sworn in on 18 May 2011. Seven of the total 20 members of the Cabinet took office on 18 May and the rest sworn in on 23 May after completing discussion with member parties of the UDF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram Metro</span> Metro project

Thiruvananthapuram Metro is a proposed rapid transit system in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Line (K-Rail)</span> Semi-high speed rail corridor

The Silver Line is a proposed higher-speed rail line in India that would connect Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city, and Kasaragod of Kerala state. It will have an operating speed of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph), [Maximum Design Speed: 220 kmph, ] allowing trains to cover the 532-kilometre (331 mi) distance in less than four hours, compared to the present 10 to 12 hours it takes to traverse this distance. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod will be the stations in this corridor. The project is temporarily halted by the state government till the Central government approval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozhikode railway station</span> Railway station in Kerala, India

Kozhikode railway station also known as Calicut railway station is one of the largest and major railway stations in the state of Kerala, India. At 200 crore in financial year 2018–19, it is the largest in terms of passenger revenue in Palakkad division. The station has four platforms, two terminals and a total number of six tracks. The first platform has a capacity to accommodate trains with 24 coaches and second & third platform has the capacity to accommodate 20 coaches; and the fourth one has the capacity to accommodate 24 coaches. It heralds as the only A1-graded station in Palghat railway division with a daily turnout exceeding 25,000 passengers. It is one of the major railway stations in Kerala with trains connecting the city to other major cities in India such as Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Mangaluru, Jammu Tawi, Goa, Ernakulam and so forth. The other railway stations in the city include Ferok, Kallayi Kozhikode South, Vellayil and West Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerging Kerala</span> Economy of Kerala

Emerging Kerala is the name given to a biennial investors summit held by the Government of Kerala in Kerala, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Limited</span>

Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Limited, abbreviated to KRTCL, is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to implement light metro projects in Kerala. Kerala has light metro systems planned for the cities of Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. The SPV is fully owned by the State Government and the Chief Minister is the Chairman of the company. The head office of KRTCL is at Thiruvananthapuram, with branches at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier it was Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd. Since monorail was not financially viable, DMRC proposed light metro.

Tiruchirappalli Monorail is the proposed monorail system for the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, part of a major expansion of public transport in the city.

Punalur railway station is the second-largest Railway Station In Kollam District located at Nedumkayam, Punalur on the Kollam–Sengottai branch line. It is the Gateway of Sabarimala. For Sabarimala devotees from Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka, SCT–PUU is the easy way. The temples related to Sabarimala like Achankovil, Aryankavu, and Kulathuppuzha are Located near Punalur. The Kollam–Shencottah railway line is the first railway line in erstwhile Travancore state and is more than a century old. The Kollam–Sengottai section is part of the Kollam–Chennai metre-gauge rail route commissioned by the British during 1904. The line which was metre gauge has been completely converted into broad gauge and train services started.

Kozhikode district has an extensive network of road, rail and air travel services. Kozhikode city is the epicenter of the district. Vatakara and Thamarassery are other transport hubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernakulam–Kottayam–Kayamkulam line</span> Kochi-kottayam-kayamkulam line

The Ernakulam–Kottayam–Kayamkulam line is a railway line which runs through the districts of Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha in Kerala state of India. This railway line starts as a branch line from Ernakulam Town railway station towards Kottayam and joins with the Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal line route via Alappuzha at Kayamkulam Junction. This line comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. The line has a total distance of 118 km (73 mi). The Ernakulam Town/Ernakulam Junction - Kottayam section opened in 1956-57 and Kottayam - Kollam section in 1957.

Metrolite is a light rail (LRT) urban transit system being planned in India for cities with lower ridership projection and as a feeder system for the existing metro systems. It will cater to lower passenger capacity at a reduced cost than a metro line. It will have dedicated tracks, separated from the road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Malabar</span> Geographical / Historical Area in Kerala, India

South Malabar refers to a geographical area of the southwestern coast of India covering some parts of the present-day Kerala. South Malabar covers the regions included in present-day Kozhikode taluk of Kozhikode district, the whole area of Malappuram district, Chavakkad taluk of Thrissur district, and Palakkad district, excluding parts of Chittur taluk. The Fort Kochi region of Kochi city also historically belongs to South Malabar. The term South Malabar refers to the region of the erstwhile Malabar District south to the river Korapuzha, and bears a high cultural similarity to both the Cochin and the North Malabar region.

References

  1. "Cabinet approves detailed project report of Kozhikode monorail project". The Times of India . TNN. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  2. S. Anil Radhakrishnan (27 November 2012). "Monorail project on track soon". The Hindu . Chennai, India. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  3. "Nod for pact with DMRC for monorail". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 13 June 2013.
  4. Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (15 June 2013). "Agreement with DMRC to be signed on June 19". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  5. Kerala Monorail, Delhi Metro ink consultancy agreement | Business Line
  6. 1 2 "Kerala drops monorail projects, opts for light metro". Business Standard . IANS news. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (28 August 2014). "Monorail scrapped, LRTS mooted". The Hindu . Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Kerala opts for light metro, not monorail". Business Standard . IANS news. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (25 October 2014). "Nod for Light Metro project for Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode". The Hindu . The Hindu. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Work on Kozhikode monorail to begin in February: Sreedharan". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 13 October 2013.
  11. "Monorail project to get on track in February, 2014". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 1 November 2013.
  12. "Monorail project: Selection of station sites draws flak". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 2 November 2013.
  13. "Sreedharan to head monorail project". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 16 January 2013.