Kochi Metro Pink Line to Require 8 Additional Trains After Completion

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Loknath Behera, Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), stated that eight additional trains will be required after the completion of the Pink Line project, bringing the total fleet requirement to 33 trains. KMRL has currently procured 25 trains for the first phase, of which 18 are in regular operation and 7 undergo periodic maintenance on a rotational basis. Due to funding constraints, the proposed procurement plan remains on hold at present.

Upon completion of the second phase, the 10.58-kilometer elevated corridor from JLN Stadium to Infopark will feature 10 new stations. Behera noted that the existing fleet can no longer maintain the required service frequency while simultaneously accommodating train maintenance. To optimally utilize resources from both phases, eight additional trains are needed to keep headways between 7 and 10 minutes. He also warned that without new trains, the operating interval during the second phase could extend to around 20 minutes.

This procurement requirement was identified during the previous government's tenure, when KMRL proposed the train procurement and was subsequently directed to seek assistance from the central government. Behera revealed that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is willing to provide financial support, but only after the federal and state governments reach an agreement. If the central government does not contribute funding, the state will have to bear the entire estimated cost of Rs 2.75 billion, complicating the procurement timeline. Since Kochi Metro is a 50:50 funded project, KMRL can apply to the central government for cost sharing, but the final arrangement has yet to be confirmed through consultations. The timing of procurement is critical, as train orders take two years for delivery; if placed now, delivery is expected only in 2028, approximately one year after the second phase is projected to become operational.

KMRL plans to complete the section to Infopark by June 2027, with the viaduct to be finished by March and stations and the traction system by June to achieve operational readiness. The second phase is supported by a loan of Rs 10.16 billion from the AIIB, and structural works are progressing. The trains are manufactured by Alstom Transport India at its facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.