'Expect To Complete Trivandrum Metro Within 30 Months Of Getting DPR Approval': Kochi Metro MD

Thiruvananthapuram’s decade-long wait for a metro system is finally moving towards reality. The alignment for the first phase of the Trivandrum Metro was approved by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,

marking a major milestone in the capital city’s urban development and public transport infrastructure.

The first phase of the project will span 31 kilometers from Pappanamcode to Eanchakal, featuring 27 stations. The proposed route will connect key areas and landmarks, including the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Central Railway Station, Medical College, State Secretariat, and the IT corridor covering all three phases of Technopark, making it one of the most comprehensive metro alignments in the state.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 8,000 crore, is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion in the city and improve connectivity across major commercial and residential zones.

Preparatory works for the metro is already visible in some parts of the city. At Sreekariyam, a four-lane, 535-meter-long flyover is under construction. Designed to accommodate future metro pillars, this flyover is among the early civil works aligned with the metro project’s requirements.

According to Loknath Behera IPS, Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL)—the agency overseeing the project—the Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be submitted to the state government within the next one-and-a-half months. Once approved by the state cabinet, it will be forwarded to the Union government for final clearance.

“We expect to get this approval within six months,” Behera said. “Once we receive it, we aim to complete construction within 30 months.”

The announcement marks a new chapter in Thiruvananthapuram’s long struggle to establish a mass rapid transit system. Discussions about a metro for the capital began as early as 2011 during the Oommen Chandy government, with initial plans for a monorail, later revised to a light metro, and finally evolving into the current full-fledged metro system.

For residents of Thiruvananthapuram, the chief minister’s approval represents not just an infrastructure boost, but the realisation of a long-cherished dream—one that promises to transform how the city moves.