Trivandrum Monorail l Proposed

[Ajaypp]

Monorail to reduce congestion, accidents

S. Anil Radhakrishnan



The Hindu

MRTS can carry up to 20,000 people an hour: Natpac study

Monorail, a mass rapid transit system (MRTS) mooted for the city, is expected to reduce dependence on personalised modes of transport and take away 40 per cent of the present vehicular traffic off the road.

The monorail has been proposed for the 41.8-km Pallippuram-Neyyattinkara corridor as part of a long-term and economical solution to the transportation problems faced by the people.

At present, 7,500 people travel in an hour in one direction in the city, and this is likely to go up to 15,000 in the next 10 years. The monorail can carry up to 20,000 people in an hour in one direction during peak hours, and has been found the best mode of transport for a medium-sized city like Thiruvananthapuram, according to a feasibility study being finalised by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac).

Transport planners said the decrease in dependence on personalised modes of transport as a result of the introduction of the monorail would bring down the number of road accidents. The proposal to provide 100 low-floor buses as feeder service to the monorail would ensure connectivity.

The project will be implemented in two phases with the first phase extending from Pallippuram to Thampanoor (22.2 km) and the second phase from Thampanoor to Neyyattinkara (19.6 km). Highly placed sources told The Hindu that the likely delay in getting permission from Railways for the monorail to cross the railway line at Thampanoor had forced the authorities to execute the project in two phases.

Pallippuram had been selected as the starting point and depot taking into account future needs such as the proposed Technocity and rapid urbanisation. As the government had agreed to give 1.5 to 2 hectares in the proposed Technocity for the project, land acquisition would not be a problem for the yard for the monorail.Sources said efforts were on to identify government land on the Balaramapuram-Neyyattinkara stretch for the monorail.
35 stops identified

The project is estimated to cost Rs.6,270 crore, taking into account the Rs.150 crore needed for one km of the corridor and the cost of providing low-floor bus connectivity. As many as 35 stops have been identified with multi-storeyed parking lots in the stations. The MRTS will move through Kesavadasapuram, Pattom, Palayam, Statue, and Overbridge to reach Thampanoor.

In monorail, the train runs on a narrow guideway beam, wheels of which are gripped laterally on either side of the beam. Though the platforms proposed will be able to accommodate six cars, the authorities have proposed only four cars in the initial phase. Once Natpac submits the report at the end of the month, the government will have to think about the mode of implementation.

Source

[Kannan46]

When there are many high rise apartment buildings around the technopark, it will be a good idea to provide skywalks from each highrise to some central place in Technopark so that people need not cross the streets to reach their workplace.And this has the advantage of shortening the distance.We can also take many cars from the streets since even for short distances people may like to drive.
The same goes with Technocity also
I am also not sure whether it is a pragmatic porposition

Cheers!!!

[ajithv]

Better they implement PRT in Technopark than in core city area.

[Rajesh SM]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Better they implement PRT in Technopark than in core city area.

Yes Ajith, it is better to implement PRT in Technopark phases than the current proposed route of Vellayambalam- Vazhuthacaud-Thampanoor.

[sudheeshnairs]

Good that the mono rail starts from the Technocity area. TCS guys would have happy to have good connectivity from their Training campus.

@ Ajith, yes, the rapid developements in the Technopark Phase I, II, & III would make it imperative that there should be a modern transport in the form of PRT Pods servicing the Infosys campus, TCS Development Centre, UST Campus. TCS Peepul Park etc to connect to the monorail.

[ajithv]

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

Good that the mono rail starts from the Technocity area. TCS guys would have happy to have good connectivity from their Training campus.

Not only TCS Campus, but for the others who are going to set up campus(es) in Technocity will get this advantage.Of course, this will attract more and more companies to Technocity.In short,before the full fledged Technocity functions,providing better connectivity in terms of Monorail & widening of the highway (if start at the earliest) is a positive step.

[Ajaypp]

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

Good that the mono rail starts from the Technocity area. TCS guys would have happy to have good connectivity from their Training campus.

@ Ajith, yes, the rapid developements in the Technopark Phase I, II, & III would make it imperative that there should be a modern transport in the form of PRT Pods servicing the Infosys campus, TCS Development Centre, UST Campus. TCS Peepul Park etc to connect to the monorail.

Spot on, Sudheesh! Technocity and Technopark will be among the first IT clusters of their scale to be serviced by mass transit in India.

I know that the Gurgaon office cluster has a metro line, how about Electronics City or Gachibowli?

Once again, Trivandrum will lead Kerala in the global trend of connecting office clusters to their residential and commercial catchments through high capacity mass transit.

On the subject of the PRT system within Technopark/Technocity, I'd still prefer that the money be spent on AC LC shuttle buses which are far more efficient and flexible.

[vinod/kakka]

A better overall transport plan for Trivandrum would be to create 1 agency, and move Bus and Monorail under that authority, starting with atleast the JNNURM buses. Rather than having a monorail stop near Sri Vishakh, move it within the current KSRTC Thampanoor terminus. This would provide a lot of infrastructure to the authority, esp at NTA, where the centrally located bus terminus could be the Monorail endpoint.

[Ajaypp]

Originally Posted by vinod/kakka

A better overall transport plan for Trivandrum would be to create 1 agency, and move Bus and Monorail under that authority, starting with atleast the JNNURM buses. Rather than having a monorail stop near Sri Vishakh, move it within the current KSRTC Thampanoor terminus. This would provide a lot of infrastructure to the authority, esp at NTA, where the centrally located bus terminus could be the Monorail endpoint.

Absolutely agreed, a rapidly growing city and UA like Trivandrum needs an integrated transportation management agency, which I wishfully call the Trivandrum Metropolitan Transportation Authority (TMTA).

It can be built up around the monorail-feeder bus system but the KSRTC city service should be folded into it as soon as possible.

However, I sense that this will be very difficult to achieve without strong political will. The KSRTC will be hell-bent on retaining its single biggest operation (accounting for more than 10% of its fleet) and a major money spinner. Additionally, the Unions will find all sorts of excuses not to be folded into a more efficient agency, where they may have to work under more stringent and well qualified management.

I was once told very proudly by a member of the senior management of KSRTC that they neither had a single accountant nor traffic planner on their rolls, and it shows!

TMTA would start with a comprehensive transportation review of the entire UA, with its 2.5 Million people and come up with a detailed travel demand analysis based (hopefully) on computer modelling of source-destination matrices, which in turn would be based on a very detailed survey process. Then it could proceed to creating the best multi-modal solution for the measured travel demand.

In the long term, TMTA could also take over operation, maintenance and expansion of the city's road infrastructure.

[ajithv]

Separate townships are planned in between Technocity near Pallippuram and Neyyattinkara for the funding of proposed Monorail at Thiruvananthapuram. The company which is to be formed for the Monorail project would be responsible for setting up townships. As many as 35 stops have been identified with multi-storeyed parking lots in the stations. Skywalks, Elevators and Escalators are also planned in the proposed Monorail.

The project will be implemented in two phases with the first phase extending from Pallippuram to Thampanoor (22.2 km) and the second phase from Thampanoor to Neyyattinkara (19.6 km).

http://t.co/HGcYsEnc

[ajithv]

Is Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) has entrusted with the formation of an SPV for the Monorail Project in Trivandrum?Can anybody confirm this?

[vinod/kakka]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Separate townships are planned in between Technocity near Pallippuram and Neyyattinkara for the funding of proposed Monorail at Thiruvananthapuram. The company which is to be formed for the Monorail project would be responsible for setting up townships. As many as 35 stops have been identified with multi-storeyed parking lots in the stations. Skywalks, Elevators and Escalators are also planned in the proposed Monorail.

The project will be implemented in two phases with the first phase extending from Pallippuram to Thampanoor (22.2 km) and the second phase from Thampanoor to Neyyattinkara (19.6 km).

http://t.co/HGcYsEnc

This would be a great idea if implemented correctly. The new thinking in urban transportation is to have Transit Oriented Development, with transit stops providing commercial, residential and retail opportunities.
Done right, this could provide houses and retail establishments for people who have to be evicted for land acquisition, and could provide a template for infrastructure development in Kerala - having such townships planned along the highway corridors and rail corridors could change Kerala as we know it.

[vinod/kakka]

Originally Posted by Ajaypp

Absolutely agreed, a rapidly growing city and UA like Trivandrum needs an integrated transportation management agency, which I wishfully call the Trivandrum Metropolitan Transportation Authority (TMTA).

It can be built up around the monorail-feeder bus system but the KSRTC city service should be folded into it as soon as possible.

However, I sense that this will be very difficult to achieve without strong political will. The KSRTC will be hell-bent on retaining its single biggest operation (accounting for more than 10% of its fleet) and a major money spinner. Additionally, the Unions will find all sorts of excuses not to be folded into a more efficient agency, where they may have to work under more stringent and well qualified management.

I was once told very proudly by a member of the senior management of KSRTC that they neither had a single accountant nor traffic planner on their rolls, and it shows!

TMTA would start with a comprehensive transportation review of the entire UA, with its 2.5 Million people and come up with a detailed travel demand analysis based (hopefully) on computer modelling of source-destination matrices, which in turn would be based on a very detailed survey process. Then it could proceed to creating the best multi-modal solution for the measured travel demand.

In the long term, TMTA could also take over operation, maintenance and expansion of the city's road infrastructure.

I might have a better name for it - TRivandrum Urban and Suburban Transit (TRUST)

10% would just be City Transport buses - add in the mofussil buses in the urban area (VZM, NDD, NTA, ATL, KPM, VLND and KTDA), it should be atleast 25%.

I wouldnt agree to the "opposition of workers" though - The unions would object, and maybe the middle and upper level management. But if it can be packaged in such a way that only operating staff is transferred with a higher age for pension, chances for overtime pay, and maybe generous health care, the government could make it work if they wanted to. Most of KSRTCs problems seem to be with their white collared staff and their pilferage, and non-management in general.

And rather than transferring, make it a "split" of KSRTC to start with, and then do a merge

[vinod/kakka]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Is Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) has entrusted with the formation of an SPV for the Monorail Project in Trivandrum?Can anybody confirm this?

This was earlier reported - It seems like a plan to do Calicut with KSIDC (Under the control of a minister from the area), and Trivandrum with KTFDC, under a minister from Trivandrum. The problem with this is that KSRTC could have too much say in what happens.

[Keralean]

The above report from manorama is Pretty informative and detailed. But i have couple of doubts in that. It is mentioned that the pillars will be on the median and its width will be 1.53m or something. my doubts are like

1, Are the currently expanded roads capable of handling the traffic if such a pillar stands in the middle of the road?
2, What are they gonna do with the street lighting, as they lately introduced the GPS street lights.

These are my genuine doubts..may sound stupid thou.. please enlighten me about the above mentioned issues.

[ajithv]

Originally Posted by vinod/kakka

This was earlier reported - It seems like a plan to do Calicut with KSIDC (Under the control of a minister from the area), and Trivandrum with KTFDC, under a minister from Trivandrum.

Thanks vinod/kakka..
Isn't KRFB is the nodal agency of Kozhikode Monorail or KRFB's role is limited to the DPR? KSIDC seems the nodal agency for the HSR Project.

[abhilashtvpm]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Separate townships are planned in between Technocity near Pallippuram and Neyyattinkara for the funding of proposed Monorail at Thiruvananthapuram. The company which is to be formed for the Monorail project would be responsible for setting up townships. As many as 35 stops have been identified with multi-storeyed parking lots in the stations. Skywalks, Elevators and Escalators are also planned in the proposed Monorail.

The project will be implemented in two phases with the first phase extending from Pallippuram to Thampanoor (22.2 km) and the second phase from Thampanoor to Neyyattinkara (19.6 km).

http://t.co/HGcYsEnc

This is a great idea +100 to vinod/kakka

[ajithv]

Originally Posted by Keralean

1, Are the currently expanded roads capable of handling the traffic if such a pillar stands in the middle of the road?
2, What are they gonna do with the street lighting, as they lately introduced the GPS street lights.

These are my genuine doubts..may sound stupid thou.. please enlighten me about the above mentioned issues.

These are not stupid queries,but are valid.Such points are always welcome

Well, the recently widened roads mainly have a 0.3m median mainly along the MG Road and have 0.90~1.0m in other areas.As you are aware that eventhough the MG Road is widened to six lane capacity in total,the trafficable width is available only 2 lanes one each side.The extreme lane is used for on-street parking.The same is the case with Pattom - Kesavadasapuram Road, 4 laned but nearly 1.5 lane is the trafficable lanes on each side.If these on-street parking are lifted along the Monorail alignment, I hope there won't be any problem as you still have sufficient width for smooth traffic.

Also, for lighting, I assume the clear height of the span may be atleast between 5.5m~6.5m and still have the clearance for these lights.Of course some may needed to re-located in between the piers.Else needed to fix those in piers itself.

Well, these points have nothing to do with feasibility study and of course, these will be taken into account in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and "WE" had already noted such points much earlier with the concerned authorities.

[abhilashtvpm]

Originally Posted by Keralean

The above report from manorama is Pretty informative and detailed. But i have couple of doubts in that. It is mentioned that the pillars will be on the median and its width will be 1.53m or something. my doubts are like

1, Are the currently expanded roads capable of handling the traffic if such a pillar stands in the middle of the road?
2, What are they gonna do with the street lighting, as they lately introduced the GPS street lights.

These are my genuine doubts..may sound stupid thou.. please enlighten me about the above mentioned issues.

1. Trivandrum roads are much more wider than shown above.
2. I have no idea on that
This is from the movie Cowboy. Courtesy NDTV

[Damukannappan]

Originally Posted by vinod/kakka

I might have a better name for it - TRivandrum Urban and Suburban Transit (TRUST)

Very Good Name