Chennai:
Keralites dream of having their own metro was realised when Union Urban Development Minister Venkiah Naidu flagged off the first Metro Train rolled out from Alstom factory in Sri City for Kochi Metro which will be received by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy later this month.
This is the first time a metropolis trainset was conceptualised, designed and tested in India, said Jean Francois Beaudoin, deputy senior vice-president of the rolling stock manufacturers Alstom,
adding that 70 per cent part of the rake was indigenously produced.
The company delivered the first trainset of 25 trains ahead of schedule in record time.
After reach Kochi, it would be coupled together at the coach depot in
Muttom near Aluva. “The inspection ports are ready for carrying out
the trials,” said Metro man E Sreedharan, one of the key persons
behind Kochi Metro project.
The trains will be commissioned from February and the integrated
trials would commence from April onwards. The way the project has
started, it won’t be surprising if Sreedharan has his way and the 25km
long elevated stretch is put to use before the deadline of December
2016.
Sreedharan, who is also the brain behind Lucknow Metro, has urged
Alstom to advance the delivery of rakes by September so that the trial
run could happen by December.
Kerala government is also looking at developing metro rail networks in
other cities like Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
The coaches have been manufactured at a tendered cost of Rs 632.95
crore for 75 cars, which has also set a record in terms of lowest cost
of manufacture of any metro. The 75 coaches are likely to be delivered
by April 2017.
While Kochi is planning to implement Urban Metropolitan Transport
Authority and have a single ticket for all transport modes, there are
also plans to have a water transportation project at a cost of Es
747.28 crore for augmenting city’s urban ferry system. This will have
78 fast ferry boats. There will also be renovation of jetties and road
infrastructure and last mile connectivity along with lagoons and
canals of greater Kochi region, Venkaiah Naidu said.
He added that his ministry has recommended the proposal to finance
ministry for external funding from the German funding agency, KfW.
Factfile:
----Kochi Metro coach manufactured at Sri City is one of the most
indigenised metro coaches manufactured in India
---The first train would be reach Kerala by January 10th or 11th and
it would be received by Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy
--- The Metro trains would be commissioned in kerala by Febrauary
---The integrated trials of Kochi Metro is likely by April onwards
---The metro train utilises communications based train control
technology, a railway signaling system that makes use of the
telecommunications between the train and track equipment for the
traffic management and infrastructure control
---The 75 coaches of Kochi Metro is manufactured at a cost of Rs
632.95 crore. All the coaches are expected to be delivered by April
2017
--- The Kochi Metro comprises of three-car combination and can carry
975 passengers, including 136 seated passengers
--- The coach has provision for USB charging and six LCD screens as
well as CCTV cameras
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