Kochi: Kochi Metro Phase 2 has crossed a key supply milestone with the complete consignment of specialised steel rails required for the 11.2-kilometre Pink Line between JLN Stadium at Kaloor and Infopark in Kakkanad arriving for the project.

The shipment comprises 2,444 rail pieces, each 18 metres long, providing a total of 44 track kilometres and weighing around 2,700 metric tonnes. The rails will be used for the corridor’s ballastless track system.

The head-hardened rails, manufactured by Jindal Steel Limited at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh, conform to the international EN 13674-1 standards. Their metallurgy is designed to withstand regular urban transit loads while offering greater durability and reduced wear.

According to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), quality inspections and manufacturing clearances for the rails were carried out under the direct supervision of KMRL representatives, general consultant SYSTRA, and inspection agency RITES.

Texmaco Rail & Engineering has been contracted to execute the track works, while Prime Rail was tasked with track alignment and design. With the complete rail supply now in place and alignment designs completed, the project is positioned to move towards track installation as and when the elevated sections are handed over.

“Track laying will be taken up progressively in sections based on the completion and handover of other works. Before that, there are other works that need to be completed. However, this is an important milestone as we race against time to meet the deadline,” said KMRL sources.

The latest milestone comes after delays to the Phase 2 project caused by complex utility shifting, staggered land handovers and external funding clearances. KMRL has since abandoned its earlier plan to open the corridor in partial stages and is now targeting full-corridor commissioning by August 2027. Integration and testing are expected to be carried out ahead of the opening.

Meanwhile, authorities are also working to ease traffic congestion along the heavily affected Palarivattom-Vazhakkala stretch, where Metro construction has caused significant commuter difficulties. Non-critical road barricades have been removed, while coordination with the traffic police is underway to improve vehicle movement through construction zones.

Once commissioned, the Pink Line will establish a crucial mass-transit connection between central Kochi and Kakkanad, linking the city with the region's major IT, administrative and commercial hub.