Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has approved the first phase alignment of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro Rail project, the government said on Friday.

According to a statement issued by the CM's office, the phase-I alignment will connect the three phases of the Technopark, the airport, Thampanoor bus stand and railway station, the secretariat and the government medical college hospital.

The project will be implemented by the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) and there will be 27 stations on the 31 kilometer long route of phase-I, it said.

The metro rail will start from Pappanamcode and will pass through Killipalam, Palayam, Sreekaryam, Kazhakoottam, Technopark, Kochuveli, the airport and end at Enchakkal.

The interchange stations will be at Kazhakootam, Technopark and Karyavattom, the CMO statement said.

As part of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro project, KMRL was entrusted with the construction of the Sreekaryam, Ulloor and Pattom flyovers, it said.

Of these, the construction of the Sreekaryam flyover is progressing rapidly.

The metro rail project will accelerate the future development of the rapidly growing city of Thiruvananthapuram, it added.

According to a Transport Department order, the KMRL has been asked to prepare and submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro Rail as per the above alignment and in accordance with the Metro Rail Policy 2017 and central government guidelines.

Administrative sanction for implementing the light metro rail system in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode districts by the Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd was accorded in September 2015.

Later, by a September 2022 government order, the entire project was handed over to KMRL and it was entrusted with preparation of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), Alternative Analysis Report (AAR) and a revised DPR as per the Metro Rail Policy, 2017 and in accordance with central government guidelines.

The KMRL, after carrying out the comprehensive mobility study, had said that a Mono Rail or a Light Metro system shall not be sufficient to cater to the ever-growing city like Thiruvananthapuram and suggested a conventional metro, like in other cities, as the most appropriate form.

It had also proposed several alignments and the final one presented on November 4, which covered the Technopark, airport, bus stand and railway station, was approved as it ensured seamless connectivity between key urban modes of travel, the November 7 order of the Transport Department said.