Kozhikode Monorail

Kozhikode Monorail കോഴിക്കോട് മോണോറെയില്
Overview
Locale	Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Transit type	Straddle-beam monorail
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	15
Daily ridership	148,000 (2015-16 estimate)
Chief executive	Harikesh
Operation
Operator(s)	Kerala Mono Rail Corporation Ltd. (KMCL)
Train length	3 coaches
Technical
System length	14.20 km
Average speed	33 km/h

The Kozhikode Monorail was a proposed monorail system planned for the city of Kozhikode, India. Due to cost escalation the project was replaced by Kozhikode Light Metro and is in the initial stages of implementation. The newly proposed light metro is expected to follow the same alignment planned for monorail project.

History

The Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), a statutory body under the state Public Works Department (PWD), engaged Wilbur Smith Associates, Bengaluru, to prepare a detailed feasibility study for a mass transit system for Kozhikode. Wilbur Smith submitted the feasibility report in December 2010 recommending a monorail system for the city, from Meenchanda to Ramanattukara with a distance of 23 km. The report recommended that the first phase should be the 13 km stretch from Medical College to Meenchanda. The KRFB then entrusted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the first phase of the monorail project in March 2012. The DMRC submitted the DPR on 19 June 2012, after incorporating certain modifications, to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at his office along with the replica of the coach. The Government of Kerala approved the DPR and accorded administrative sanction for the project, as per order No. GO (Ms) 72/2012/PWD dated 9 October 2012, at a cost of ₹ 19.91 billion (approx. US$356 million).. The lone bidder for the tender, the Bombardier consortium has cited almost double of the estimated amount and the project was scraped by the state government.

Proposes plan

The project was proposed to cover a distance of 14.2 km with 15 stations, from Medical College Hostel to Meenchanda. The car depot was proposed to be located about 500 metres east of the Medical College Hostel station on 5.20 hectares of vacant land owned by the government.

The monorail was proposed to be built in two phases. The first from Medical College to Mananchira and the second from Mananchira to Meenchantha. Approximately 10.65 hectares of land was to be required for the project, of which 80% is government owned land.

Phase	Terminals		Length (km)	Stations	Opening date
Phase I	Medical College	Mananchira
Phase II	Mananchira	Meenchanda
Total	Medical College	Meenchanda	14.20	15

Stations

Kozhikode monorail was proposed to have a total of 15 stations.

#	Station Name	Opening	Connections
1	Medical College Hostel		None
2	Medical College		None
3	Chevayur		None
4	Thondayad		None
5	Kottuli		None
6	New Bus Stand		Private inter-city buses
7	KSRTC		KSRTC buses
8	Mananchira		None
9	Palayam		Private intra-city buses
10	Railway Station		Indian Railways
11	Pushpa		None
15	Kallayi		None
13	Panniyankara		None
14	Vattakkinar		None
15	Meenchanda		None

Planned future expansion

The government had planned to extend the monorail to Civil Station and West Hill. It would have required ₹600 crore (US$75 million) for the 6 km stretch connecting Malaparamba and Civil Station.

Estimated cost

The cost of civil structures has been estimated based on Kerala State PWD schedule of rates (revised 2010) which came into effect from 1 April 2011. The total cost of the project based on April 2012 price level works out to ₹15,650 million (US$200 million) excluding taxes of ₹2,670 million (US$33 million). The completion cost of this project in 2015 comes to Rs. ₹19.91 billion (US$250 million) with central taxes. It will be executed in Design, Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) mode. The State and Union governments contributed 20% of the project cost each, and the rest was funded by private group. The DMRC, general consultant of the project, was paid 3% of the project cost as consultancy fee.

Proposed infrastructure

Civil structures

The track beams, for up and down tracks, were to be carried over circular pillars of about 1000 mm diameter located generally along the median of the road. The pier heads was to have a minimum clearance of 5.50 metres above the road level. In certain locations, the track beams have to be carried on cantilever and at some locations the same are carried over portals. The track beams which are hollow in the centre portion and solid at the ends are to be cast with 3 dimension accuracy at a central casting Depot proposed to be located in the Car Depot yard itself and then carried by road trailers to the erection sites and lifted by heavy duty cranes. Then they were to be stitched together and pre-stressed over 5 spans to make one continuous girder. At the expansion joints,special "tongue and grove" type steel metallic bearings are used. For evacuation of passengers in the event of the monorail car becoming immobile, a pathway has been proposed between and below the track beams. Generally hard rock is met within 20 to 25 metres from ground level and Mono piles may be considered for the foundations thus eliminating pile caps. For special spans and for the Kallai River crossing the foundations will be on pile groups.

The minimum distance between track beam centres has been kept as 3.80-metre. On curves, distance has been increased based on the additional clearances needed for mid throw and end throw as well as for super elevation. The maximum distance between the track beams on a curve of radius of 50 m has been found to be 4.4 m. The minimum radius adopted for the track alignment is 50 m and maximum gradient for the vertical alignment is 6%.

Signaling and communications

The communication based train control (CBTC) system, generally conforming to IEE 1474 and ATS (Automatic Train Supervision), was proposed to be adopted for designed headway of 100 seconds. Provision for automatic train operation as well as driverless train operation has been kept. There will be mobile radio communication between the trains and operation control centre (OCC).

Power

Traction current was to be carried through rails of suitable cross section fixed on both sides of the track beams. The traction voltage was to be 750 V. D.C (+ 375V and –375V). Two receiving sub stations were proposed one in the car depot and the other in the Government College ground near Meenchanda station. They would be of 2 x115 MVA capacities each. Traction sub stations are proposed at 4 stations - Medical College Hostel, Kottuli, Palayam and Panniyankara - each having a capacity of 2 x 1.5 MVA . Each station would be provided with an independent Auxiliary Sub Station (ASS) to meet the power requirements of lighting, ventilation, air conditioning, for operation of lifts and escalators etc. Stand by diesel generating sets of 100 KVA to 125 KVA capacities was also be installed as a standby arrangement to cater for emergency requirements. Total power estimated for the corridor was 12 MVA in the year 2041.

Depot

The car depot was proposed to be located over a 5.2 hectare land belonging to the Calicut Medical College, about 500 m east of the Medical College Hostel station. The depot would have facilities for stabling the trains overnight, inspection facilities and workshop facilities. The Operation Control Centre (OCC) will be located in the depot.

Stations

Two types of stations were proposed for the project - Type A and Type B. In Type A all the facilities and technical rooms are housed outside the right of way and only platforms are provided over the road supported by pillars located on the median of the road. Type B stations are 2 level stations located over the road itself, with a mezzanine floor which houses the passenger facilities and technical rooms and the platforms provided above the mezzanine level. The access to the station is provided from outside the right of way. All platforms will have screen doors. All stations would have elevators for old and physically challenged persons. Escalators have been provided only at 3 stations - Medical College, Mananchira and Railway Station,but provision has been kept for installing escalators at all other stations in the future. All stations would have fire detection and firefighting arrangements as prescribed in the National Building Codes. A passenger announcement system, passenger information display system, centralized clock system and closed circuit television (CCTV) at all stations were also proposed.

Operations

Ticketing

A computer based automatic fare collection system was proposed to be used as the ticketing system for the monorail. The system would be capable of issuing single/multiple journey tickets, amenable for quick fare changes and require overall lesser manpower. For multiple journey, the Store Value Smart Card shall be utilized and for the single journey, the media shall be contactless smart token. The AFC equipment shall be provided at each station at convenient locations and will be connected to a local area network with a computer in the Station Master's room.

Frequency and capacity

The passenger carrying capacity of a 3 coach train was expected in the range of 400 to 525 assuming 6 persons per square meter of standee area, and in the range of 500 to 675 assuming 8 persons per square meter of standee area.

The initial headway would be 6.75 minutes, with the provision to reduce it up two minutes during peak hours, to meet the requirement of increased passenger volumes.

See also

• Kerala Mono Rail Corporation
• Thiruvananthapuram Monorail
• List of monorail systems

External links

• Kozhikode Monorail - Detailed Project Report (DPR)
• KMCL - EoI cum prequalification document
• G.O. (Ms) 72/2012/PWD