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Narendra Modi inaugurates Kochi Metro, takes train ride with CM Vijayan, Metro Man Sreedharan

By FnF Desk | PUBLISHED: 17, Jun 2017, 12:47 pm IST | UPDATED: 18, Jun 2017, 18:52 pm IST

Narendra Modi inaugurates Kochi Metro, takes train ride with CM Vijayan, Metro Man Sreedharan New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is today in Kerala where he he inaugurated the much-awaited Kochi Metro. After arriving at the INS Garuda Naval Air Station today morning, Modi headed to the Palarivattom station, where he cut a commemorative ribbon before boarding a Metro train.

The official Twitter account of the Prime Minister's Office called the Kochi Metro "futuristic infrastructure that will contribute to India's growth".

PM Modi and others have completed the first leg of the Metro train ride.
The prime minister was also seen waving at the crowds present on stations along the Kochi Metro's route.

During the Metro ride, Modi could be seen chatting with E Sreedharan.

Modi along with Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is taking a Metro ride on the newly inaugurated Kochi Metro line.

Other officials and dignitaries accompanying Modi include Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gouba, Kerala Chief Secretary Nalini Netto and and KMRL MD Elias George.
'Metro man' E Sreedharan, who was earlier reported to have not been given a seat on the dais, is also present on the Metro ride.

KOCHI METRO INAUGURATION: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

PM Modi inaugurated the 13-kilometer section of Kochi Metro from the Palarivattom station. Modi reached the station at around 11 am boarded a Metro train after cutting a ribbon.

Following the train ride, Modi and other officials will be at the JLN Stadium in Kaloor where a public event has been scheduled.

Yogesh Saini and Sumit Kumar were chosen as the train operators for PM Modi's journey. Pawan Kumar and Anil Kumar were also be present in the driver's cabin to support Yogesh and Sumit.

The Kochi Metro will begin revenue operations from Monday, from 6 am onward. Trains will run between Aluva and Palarivattom at intervals of eight minutes and 20 seconds and there will be a total of 219 trips in a day.

The Metro will begin operations every day at 6 am, with the day's last ride finishing its trip at 10 pm. A single trip can carry 975 passengers.

Modi is inaugurating a 13-km section of the Kochi Metro Phase 1, which runs for 25 kilometers. Work on the remaining section is still underway. Once completed, the phase 1 will cover 22 stations.

Work on the over Rs 5000-crore Kochi Metro began in 2013 after the Chandy government entrusted the project to Delhi Metro Rail Corp, with its principal advisor E Sreedharan overseeing it.

Kochi Metro is India eighth metro service and earlier this month, in an exclusive interview to India Today, E Sreedharan called it his life's most challenging project. "Kochi has been a different environment; the operating costs were very high, apart from this the material and man power is costly," Sreedharan had said.

A unique feature of the Kochi Metro will be its connectivity with speed boats for feeder services. "Integration of modes of transport is a must, credit of water metro goes to KMRL. All modes of transport will have a unified ticket," Sreedharan had said in his India Today interview, adding "With the launch of metro train, Kochi will be the first city with fully integrated public transport system. It will be a great convenience for the people and a model for other cities to replicate."

Kochi Metro has also employed 23 members from the transgender community, who will be involved in everything from ticketing to housekeeping. In a May 11 report in The Hindu, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited's MD had said that the metro had become the first government-owned company in India "to formally appoint them (transgenders)".
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