Team News Riveting
The Kerala metro phase 1 has been completed with the commissioning of the Thykoodam-Petta stretch.
The project drew an investment of Rs 6218 crore, Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of state for housing and urban affairs, said. Thykoodam-Petta stretch of Kochi Metro was inaugurated by Puri and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan through video conference today.
Puri said the proposal for Phase-2 of Kochi Metro was under active consideration of the Govt of India and would be approved soon.
With the inauguration of the 1.33 km stretch from Thykoodam to Petta today, the total operational stretch will be 25.2 Kms. From technology, to manpower, to process and functioning, Kochi Metro has been a pioneer.
With the commissioning of Petta-Thykoodam stretch, Kochi Metro should be able to increase ridership to over one lakh per day.
KMRL is all set to implement Kochi Water Metro Project at a cost of Rs 747 crore with the financial assistance of German Bank, KFW. Kochi is the first city in the country wherein water transport has been integrated as a feeder service to the metro.
Kochi Metro has dedicated walls for the fishermen community who saved thousands during the 2018 Kerala floods. KMRL has engaged persons from the LGBT community in its operations, thus becoming the first organization to appoint transgender persons in the country.
Kochi Metro’s other unique feature is its themed metro stations. Based on the core theme of Western Ghats Kochi Metro has selected various themes such as Kerala’s heritage, culture, art etc. For the Petta Metro Station KMRL has chosen Fishing as the theme with a dedication to the fishermen community of the state.
The Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system is a critical core component of any Metro system. KMRL has developed a unique PPP model where in the capital investment as well as the maintenance cost is taken care by a bank and in return the bank has a co-branded card for Kochi Metro System. This was the first time such an innovative model was launched and is expected to change funding models for AFC systems in the metro industry globally.
Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) had approved the opening of Petta metro station back in May, 2020. KMRL had completed the works of Petta station in March itself but the commissioning was delayed due to COVID19 lockdown
