Kochi: With the union budget including a provision for an additional Foot Overbridge at Aluva railway station, the local municipality has sought railway nod for extending the planned FoB to the metro station near National Highway 47 so as to provide a seamless connectivity.
“Currently commuters arriving at the railway station proceeding to Kochi area will have to go round about and travel nearly three kms to reach the metro station. Our plea is to give a landing of the planned FoB at the west side of the station and then extend it through the Union Bank side to Kunnum-puram near the metro station. Another proposal is to provide for a second entrance at Goods Shed (western side) and extend the FoB from there by another 800 meters through the private bus stand and link with the metro station,” said Aluva Municipal Chairperson Lissy Abraham.
She added the council has earlier passed the resolution for taking up the project, however, the railways is yet to give a nod. “Now that the railway approved construction of an FoB at the station, we’ll renew our demand for extending the same to the metro station. I’ll write a letter to Chalakkudy MP Innocent tomorrow itself to take up the issue with railway board and also request MP fund for realization of the seamless connectivity,” she said. When contacted, Chalakudy MP Innocent said he would hold talks with the municipal chairperson and will then meet the union railway minister requesting to give the necessary sanction.
“A lot of daily commuters arriving from northern parts are proceeding to areas like Kalamassery where most of the industrial units are located. They now prefer to take buses after alighting at Aluva. Realisation of the FoB extension will help them save a lot of time as the Metro is the fastest mode of transport in city. However, currently not even second entrance (western side) at Aluva is provided since a Goods Shed is located there. The same should be shifted to Kalamassery where already such a facility exists,” said P Krishna Kumar, General Secretary, Thrissur Railway Passenger Association. When contacted, a senior KMRL official said they have currently no such plans for linking the metro station with the railway station in Aluva via FoB. “We may consider the same in future based on the demand,” the official said.
