Railway station near Kochi airport: Location, facilities, cost and more
The proposed railway station in Nedumbassery is not far from CIAL | X
The construction of a railway station near Kochi International Airport (CIAL) is set to begin in December, the Southern Railway General Manager reportedly confirmed. The station will be built near the railway overpass on the airport approach road.
According to Southern Railway General Manager R.N. Singh, the initial works for the station will include the station building, platforms, an overbridge connecting the platforms, and lifts. Media reports state that the railway station will be constructed near the railway overbridge on the airport approach road, with the airport and the station situated on opposite sides of a wall.
The foundation stone for the Kochi Airport railway station project was laid in 2010 but was later abandoned, according to a report by Manorama Online. The report added that R.N. Singh reportedly revealed the news about the start of the works to Chalakudy Lok Sabha MP Benny Behanan. It added that a detailed project information and cost estimates are currently being prepared.
The project is made possible by the availability of sufficient railway land at the proposed site for building the platforms. News reports have elaborated that if more land is needed, the nearby CIAL land can also be used. In addition to passenger convenience, the new railway station also holds great promise for cargo movement. Electric or hydrogen bus services will be provided to help passengers commute between the railway station and the airport. The new cargo village, which has started operations at the airport, is within walking distance of the proposed railway station.
Meanwhile, the Kochi Metro will also be extended to the airport in the near future.
For the unversed, CIAL is the first airport in India to be built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with a significant number of shareholders being Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). The Government of Kerala is the largest single shareholder of the airport that is the world's first airport to be entirely powered by solar energy. It has an installed capacity of 50 MW and generates more electricity than it consumes.
India