Kochi Metro Rail (KMRL) has received the complete steel rail consignment for the 11.2 km Phase 2 corridor, also known as the Pink Line. The corridor will connect JLN Stadium with Infopark and SmartCity through Kakkanad, with 11 stations planned along the route. The delivery marks a major supply milestone before track installation begins.

The consignment includes 2,444 rail pieces, each measuring 18 m in length. Together, the rails will cover 44 track km and weigh about 2,700 t. Jindal Steel manufactured the head-hardened rails at its facility in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, with the products meeting the international EN 1367-1 standard.

The rails are designed to withstand regular urban transit loads while providing improved durability and lower wear. KMRL will install them as part of the corridor’s slab track system, in which rails are fixed to a concrete base rather than laid on stone ballast. KMRL, general consultant SYSTRA and inspection agency RITES supervised manufacturing clearances and quality checks.

With the rail supply, alignment and design work completed, KMRL is preparing for track installation as elevated sections become available. Track laying will proceed in stages after remaining civil and related works are completed. Texmaco Rail & Engineering is the track works contractor, while Prime Rail completed the alignment and design for the corridor.

Phase 2 has experienced delays associated with utility shifting, land acquisition and funding clearances. KMRL has therefore moved away from its earlier plan to commission the line in partial stages and is targeting full-corridor commissioning by August 2027. Systems integration and testing will follow the completion of civil and track works. The line is intended to extend the operational Kochi Metro network from central Kochi to the city’s key administrative, commercial and information technology hub in Kakkanad.