The 13 km stretch of Kochi Metro Rail, from Aluva to Palarivatoom, has been cleared for commissioning and Kerala's first metro is all set for inauguration.
The state government is now awaiting a convenient date from the Prime Minister to launch the metro. Built along a 25 km stretch with 22 stations, the Kochi Metro Rail, a joint venture between the state government and the Centre, is a project built at cost Rs 5181 crore.
On May 8, the metro received a clearance certificate from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, four years after construction began. The metro operations is likely to begin by second week of June. The trains would be operating at 35 km per hour and the maximum speech is 80kmph. The minimum fare is Rs 10 and the maximum is Rs 40. Kochi Metro Rail built on public-private partnership has Delhi Metro Rail Corporation as the implementing agency.
Here are five fun facts about the Kochi Metro, before its formal inauguration.
Branding the stations
Each station of the Kochi Metro will be known in the name of a corporate company for the first three years.
KMRL has generated Rs 15 crore revenue through it, although the metro is yet to start functioning.
Themes
Each station has a different theme. For example, Kaloor station has a sports theme, whereas Western Ghats and Periyar are themes for the Aluva station.
Employing transgender persons
In a historical move, 23 transgender persons have officially been employed by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited. While the aim is to improve their livelihoods, it also makes Kochi Metro Rail an inclusive project. Incidentally, Kudambashree, a women oriented community project was awarded the contract for the management and maintenance of the metro services.
Women loco pilots
Seven out of the total 39 loco pilots will be women. They have been appointed after training in Bengaluru
India's first communication-based train control (CBTC) system.
The Kochi Metro Rail will be the first in the country to use the communication-based train control system (CBTC). The state-of-the-art technology paves the way for driverless trains in the future.