Kochi Metro begins commercial operations

Kochi: Kochi Metro, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, has started commercial operations, much to the delight of the commuters.

The trains started from Aluva and Palarivattom from 6 AM on Monday simultaneously. The trains will finish the day's ride at 10 PM at Aluva.

The headway would be 8.20 minutes and there would be 219 trips between 6 AM and 10 PM from Monday, a Kochi Metro Rail spokesperson said.

Kochi Metro Rail Corporation had on Sunday organised "Sneha Yatra" for 1,550 persons including nearly 450 children with physical and cognitive disabilities from special schools, children from orphanages and inmates from old age homes.

They also organised a special yatra for workers who built the system for the city. Their family members were also invited for the journey.

KMRL had honoured hundreds of labourers who worked hard by giving them traditional Kerala Sadya (feast), prior to the inauguration.

Modi had enjoyed a ride on Kochi Metro Saturday along with dignitaries, including Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and "Metro man" E Sreedharan.

Kochi Metro Rail Limited is a 50:50 Joint Venture of Government of India and Government of Kerala.

The first phase inaugurated Saturday operates from Aluva to Palarivattom and covers 13.26 km and 11 stations.

In his inaugural speech, the Prime Minister had hailed the special features of the Kochi Metro.

It is the first metro project to be commissioned with a modern signaling system called the Communication-Based Train Control Signalling system."

The coaches reflect the Make in India vision.

They have been built by Alstom of France, at their factory near Chennai, and have an Indian component of around seventy per cent.