Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kerala’s prestigious Kochi Metro project on June 17. The inaugural function of the 13-km Aluva-Palarivattom corridor will be held at Aluva in Ernakulam district.
“Modi will inaugurate the Metro services at a function to be held at Aluva,” the CM’s office told Media. Chief Minister’s Private Secretary M V Jayarajan confirmed Officer-on-Special Duty at the CM’s office M Sivasankaran had received a message in this regard from the PMO.
Kochi Metro, which secured the green signal from rail safety panel, had begun service trials recently on the corridor.
About Kochi Metro Rail Project:
- In the first phase, seven trains with CBTC technology will run on the 14-km Aluva-Palarivattom corridor. A total of nine trains are equipped with the technology, provided by French company Alstom. The CBTC system will give the position of the train more accurately.
- Over 600 trained women from the ‘Kudumbasree Mission’ have been employed to ensure the smooth run of the first phase of the metro. Of the total of 39 persons hired to operate the metro rakes, seven are women.
- Twenty three persons from the transgender community have been employed for jobs ranging from handling the ticket counter to housekeeping work.
- According to the Kochi Metro Rail Limited, Rs 10 is the minimum charge and a passenger traveling from Aluva to Pettah (the entire journey) will have to pay Rs 60. Rs 20 is the charge fixed for traveling a 5 km distance, Rs 30 for 10 kms and for traveling 15kms, a passenger will have to pay Rs 40. Rs 50 for traveling a distance of 20 kms and Rs 60 for traveling a distance of 25 kms.
- The KMRL is planning to give concession for passengers using the Kochi One application, officials said.
- A controversy had erupted over the inauguration after BJP Kerala leadership had alleged that the state government wanted to inaugurate the project by May end when the Prime Minister would be away on a European tour. The Chief Minister had put a lid on the controversy by saying that the government was in constant touch with PM’s office and only after getting his confirmation, a final date for the metro inauguration will be fixed.
- The state government had recently given clearance for extension of phase II of Kochi Metro from Jawaharlal Nehru stadium to Infopark.
