Overview

• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unveiled the committee on June 11 following a high-level review of the decade-old metro initiative.
• The panel comprises secretaries from the Revenue, Finance, Local Self-Government and Transport departments to ensure cross-departmental oversight.
• Kochi Metro Rail Ltd’s submission of six potential alignments will serve as the committee’s primary reference for its recommendations.
• Officials will compare three shortlisted corridors—Kazhakkoottam–Pappanamcode, Kazhakkoottam–Killipalam and Palayam–Civil Station—while weighing elevated versus underground options.
• The project was originally conceived as a monorail by DMRC over ten years ago, later revised to a light metro, and has faced repeated delays under successive administrations.