Committee formed to finalise Monorail project

Thiruvananthapuram: A committee headed by Kerala Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed has been formed to discuss and finalise the mono rail projects in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy held here yesterday asked the committee to hold discussions with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and finalise things before the board meeting of mono rail in January next. Besides Mohammed, the committee would have Additional Chief Secretary Elias George, Public Works Department Secretary T O Sooraj and Managing Director of Mono Rail Corporation, Harikesh as members. It was decided to set up office of mono-rail project at at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. In Thiruvananthapuram, it would be between Techno City and Karamana covering a distance of 22.2 km, and completed in three phases. This stretch would have 19 stations and passing through Pallipuram, Kaniyapuram, Kazhakuttam, Kariavattom, Gurumandiram, Pangapara, Sreekariyam, Pongumoodu, Ulloor, Kesavadasapuram and Pattom. The track would be on a two-metre wide median through the centre of NH 47. Four flyovers would also come up at Kariavattom, Sreekariyam, Ulloor and Pattom-Plamoodu as part of the project. First phase of the project would be completed in one year and the second phase within three years after the required acquisition of land and the third phase would be completed within three years. The mono rail would have three cars with a seating capacity of 520. In Kozhikode, the mono rail would be of 14.2 km distance covering 15 stations between Medical College and Meenchantha. The estimated project cost for Thiruvananthapuram is Rs 3,590 crore and Kozhikode Rs 1991 crore, an official release said here. PTI