Kochi Metro | Sreedharan says, metro train services to commence in the year end

Kochi: The Kochi Metro Rail up to Palarivattom will be commissioned in December 2016, said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief E Sreedharan.

Speaking to a TV channel here on Tuesday, after visiting the Metro Rail site, Sreedharan also said work on the Metro Rail corridor from Aluva to Maharaja’s College would be completed by March 2017. Meanwhile, e-bids for re-tendering of civil works between Maharaja’s College and Ernakulam South; and from Vyttila Kunnara Park to Tripunithura S N Junction will be opened on September 21. The estimated cost of the work, as per the tender, is `294 crore. The estimate includes construction of elevated viaducts and tow stations at Alliance Junction and SN Junction. The scheduled time for completing the work is 20 months.

Re-tendering of work on the Ernakulam South-Tripunithura reach was done after construction firm Ira-Ranken, which was initially entrusted with civil works in the stretch, was  offloaded in 2014 due to incompetence.

Later, Soma Constructions was entrusted with the task of completing the 1.6-km stretch from South over-bridge to Vyttila. But, the DMRC partially terminated the contract with Soma Constructions, the contractor for the Palarivattom-Ernakulam South reach, earlier this year and offloaded the company from the  Maharaja’s-Ernakulam South reach.

Soma and L&T, the two existing contractors, have already made it clear that they would not participate in the re-tendering process. However, DMRC officials said they expected new players to participate in the bid. “Since it is e-tendering, we do not know the exact number of participants yet. L&T has took the stance not to undertake any work in Kerala, citing labour issues and administrative delays in land acquisition. Hence, it is expected that new players would participate in the bidding,” said DMRC sources.

Kochi Metro | Sreedharan says, metro train services to commence in the year end