Cost factor forces govt to replace monorail project with Light Metro

Thiruvananthapuram: The State government has decided to replace the much-expected monorail project in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram cities with a more economical project, “Light Metro,” which is a medium capacity mass rapid transit system.

A decision in this regard was taken in a crucial meeting of the board of directors of the Kerala Monorail Corporation Limited (KMCL), held here on Wednesday. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Minister for Public Works V K Ibrahim Kunju, and Aryadan Muhammed, who is in charge of the Railways in the State, also attended the meeting.

As a development of the decision, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been asked to study the matter and prepare a project report within four months.

When asked about the decision, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the reports that the government has dropped the project were misleading. “The government hasn’t dropped the plan. We have decided to replace it with Light Metro project as it is more economical,” he said.

The shift is likely to cost the government crores of rupees as the work for the monorail project has also already started in several places in both the cities.

The board meeting also rejected the tender submitted by Bombardier Consortium for the monorail projects. Bombardier, the lone bidder, had quoted an exorbitant rate of Rs 14,500 crore for a project which was estimated to cost Rs 5,581 crore.