Kochi metro to operate special services for ‘Karkidaka Vavu'
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
5 stations on Kochi Metro Phase II line to be ready by June next year
Kochi: First five stations on the upcoming Phase II line of Kochi Metro will be ready by June 30 next year. Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) managing director Loknath Behera said works on Phase II Pink Line connecting JLN Stadium with Kakkanad would be completed in two phases. Works on first five stations would be completed in the first phase and other five stations would be ready by Dec 2026. Behera said works on Phase II line are lagging by at least 100 days, mainly due to heavy rain and delay in shifting pipelines on the route. "We are confident that the contractor will complete the works as per target," he said, while addressing the media on Monday. Foundation stone for Phase II construction was laid in Sept 2022, and there are complaints that works are delayed mainly due to delay in approval by state govt for availing loan for Metro project. Earlier, KMRL announced that Phase II works would be completed by June 2026. Phase II line with 10 new stations is 11.2km. Stations are being built at Palarivattom Junction, Alinchuvadu, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Padamughal, Kakkanad Junction, Cochin SEZ, Chittethukara, Kinfra and Infopark. Behera also said that KMRL is taking many steps to avoid traffic congestion on Palarivattom–Kakkanad route during Metro construction works. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo KMRL launches UPI-based ticket vending system To provide a faster, more user-friendly ticketing experience, KMRL introduced UPI-based payments at ticket vending machines (TVMs) across all Metro stations. Transport commissioner Nagaraju C inaugurated the new system at a function held at JLN Stadium Metro station on Monday. With the integration of UPI at TVMs, Metro travellers can now purchase tickets instantly by scanning a QR code and making a payment using any UPI-enabled mobile application. The new system is expected to gradually eliminate physical cash or card transactions, reduce waiting time at counters and ensure a smooth, contactless and secure payment process. It is especially beneficial during peak hours, as it helps decongest ticket counters. "Only a few Metro services in the country have integrated UPI with vending machines. Kochi Metro is proud to be one among them," said Behera.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
KMRL launches UPI-enabled ticket vending machines at metro stations
The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has introduced UPI-based payments at ticket vending machines in all stations along the Aluva–Thripunithura metro corridor. The move is part of its initiative to offer a faster, more user-friendly ticketing experience while reducing dependency on cash transactions. The initiative was inaugurated on Monday (August 4) by Transport Commissioner Nagaraju C. at a function held at the metro's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium station. Speaking on the occasion, Loknath Behera, Managing Director of KMRL, said this marked the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at making ticket booking faster and more convenient for passengers. 'Only a few metro systems in the country have integrated UPI with vending machines. Kochi Metro is proud to be one among them,' he said. 'Several new systems have been introduced to reduce dependency on ticket counters. Our ultimate goal is to transition to a completely digital ticketing system.' Attributing the delay in the metro's Kakkanad extension works to issues such as shifting utilities, Mr. Behera said that the first five stations on the stretch would be ready by June 30, 2026, followed by the remaining five stations by December 31, 2026. Digital ticketing Using UPI-based payments, metro commuters can purchase tickets instantly by scanning a QR code and making a payment via any UPI-enabled mobile application. This eliminates the need for physical cash or card transactions, reduces waiting time at counters, and ensures a smooth, contactless, and secure payment process. It is especially beneficial during peak hours, as it helps decongest ticket counters and offers commuters a quicker alternative to access metro services, a release said. KMRL's digital tickets are currently available on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform through a wide range of popular applications, including Paytm, PhonePe, redBus, Tummoc, Yatri, EaseMyTrip, Rapido, Telegram (My Metro Kochi) and Kerala Savaari.
The Hindu
24-07-2025
- The Hindu
Thousands in Kerala offer ‘bali tharpanam' on Karkidaka Vavu Bali to honour ancestors and departed souls
Thousands of people honoured their dead by offering Karkidaka Vavu Bali in Kerala on Thursday (July 24, 2025). In an overt blending of modernity and religious tradition, hundreds, including senior citizens, women and children, thronged beachfronts, riversides, and bathing ghats under an overcast sky, revering their ancestors and the recently dead by making offerings of rice and flowers on banana leaves. Devotees offerring 'Bali' on the occasion of 'Karkidaka Vavu' at Shangumugham beach in Thiruvananthapuram. Balitharpanam is a ritual paying obeisance to the departed souls Photo: @ — The Hindu - Kerala (@THKerala) July 24, 2025 An army of priests guided the attendees through their motions, which also appeared to be a reassertion of life and remembrance over death. The belief that propitiating the souls of the dead on the new moon day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam ensures salvation for the deceased and peace for the living is the central theme of the ritual. A large segment of people offered Karkidaka Vavu Bali at their homes. The Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Varkala Papanasam Beach, Thirumallavaram Temple in Kollam, Shanghumughom Beach and the Aluva Siva Temple are the critical focal points in the State for the festival. At several beaches, lifeguards and police officers prevented people from venturing into the waist-deep water due to the rough seas and inclement weather.
