An Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) delegation has inspected the project areas of Kochi Metro Phase 2, which will connect Kaloor Stadium with SmartCity in Kakkanad, as construction progresses on the proposed corridor.
The delegation visited the stretch from Stadium station to St Martin Church in Palarivattom, along with the proposed stations at Vazhakkala and Chittethukara. It also visited the terminal station area at Kakkanad SmartCity, the metro casting yard and the labour camp in Kalamassery.
Kochi Metro Phase 2 is being constructed with financial assistance of ₹1,016.24 crore from the AIIB. The funding is linked to the development of the corridor between Kaloor Stadium and SmartCity, a route intended to serve one of the city’s major employment and urban growth areas.
The site inspection covered both passenger-facing infrastructure and the facilities supporting construction. The delegation’s visit to the casting yard provided access to the project’s component production facility, while the labour camp was also included in the inspection schedule.
The locations visited span several important sections of the proposed alignment, including the Stadium station area, Palarivattom, Vazhakkala, Chittethukara and Kakkanad. The corridor’s terminal is planned at SmartCity, a major technology and business district in the Kakkanad area.
The AIIB team included Neeraj Shukla, Shiva Ramakrishna Shastri, Khaliq Mohammed and Jatin Arora. Kochi Metro Rail Ltd directors Dr M.P. Ram Navaz, who oversees projects, and Sanjay Kumar, who oversees systems, were also part of the visit.
The inspection brings the financing institution’s representatives to the active project locations and construction-support facilities associated with Phase 2. The reported visit did not include details of any new funding decision, revised completion schedule or changes to the approved alignment.
The next milestones for the corridor will depend on the progress of construction across its stations, viaduct and associated facilities. Kochi Metro Rail Ltd and the AIIB are expected to continue monitoring the implementation of the project supported by the ₹1,016.24-crore financial assistance.
