Finance Minister KN Balagopal had announced that preliminary activities related to the Thiruvananthapuram Metro project would begin in the 2025-26 financial year.
Published Jun 11, 2025 | 7:01 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2025 | 7:01 PM
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said the online meeting was a productive one.
Synopsis: Shashi Tharoor, MP, who attended the meeting online, said the chief minister had agreed to set up an advisory committee comprising key stakeholders.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chaired a virtual meeting on the much-anticipated Thiruvananthapuram Metro project on Wednesday, 11 June, giving an impetus to the plan.
The meeting discussed the project’s first phase and future course of action for the state capital’s flagship urban mobility initiative.
A committee headed by the Chief Secretary will be constituted to discuss the Thiruvananthapuram Metro Rail alignment. The committee will examine the relevant matters and submit recommendations. Secretaries of the Revenue, Finance, Local Self-Government, and Transport departments will be part of the committee.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, who participated in the meeting, termed it “productive”, adding he has been consistently advocating the project since his tenure as an MP began.
He added that the chief minister has agreed to constitute an advisory committee comprising key stakeholders to review some of his suggestions and offer recommendations on the project’s implementation.
“Our vision for the Metro should not only address the immediate needs of the city but also anticipate the requirements of future generations, while minimising disruptions during its construction,” Tharoor said, expressing confidence in the initiative’s transformative potential.
Earlier, in the state budget for 2024-25, Finance Minister KN Balagopal had announced that preliminary activities related to the Thiruvananthapuram Metro project would begin in the 2025-26 financial year, marking the official start of groundwork for the long-pending project.
One of the suggested alignments.
According to reports, the tentative alignment of the first phase will be around 18 km, from Thampanoor to Kazhakkottam via Murinjapalam and Medical College.
If the government sticks to the plan, the transport hub Thampanoor will have a major KSRTC bus station, a railway, and Metro junctions. It will also aid those heading to the Medical College, Regional Cancer Centre, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences, and Technopark.
The alignment passes through Kariyavattom, where Kerala University’s major campus and the greenfield stadium are located.
The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has submitted multiple alignment suggestions for the state government’s consideration. Once the alignment is finalised, it will be forwarded to the central government.
The project cost is likely to be met on a 20:20:60 ratio, with 60% to be raised as loans while the state and central governments equally pooling in the remaining amount.
