KOCHI (Metro Rail News): Kochi Metro will resume its services from today after a gap of 53 days. The metro trains will operate from 8 AM to 8 PM with the headway of 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes during non-peak hours, as announced by KMRL (Kochi Metro Rail Limited).
Operation of Kochi Metro services comes to a halt after the surge in Covid-19 cases and the imposition of lockdowns in the city. As the State Government eases lockdown restrictions, KMRL decided to resume operation of Kochi Metro.
KMRL is taking all measures to contain Covid-19 in Metro premises which includes cleaning and sanitization of all Metro stations, thermal scanning to check body temperatures of commuters before they are allowed to enter the station, sitting at alternate seats to maintain social distancing, contactless ticket system at all stations etc.
KMRL has also urged passengers to strictly follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour which includes compulsory wearing of masks, maintain social distancing, use of sanitizers provided at entrance of stations, usage of Kochi 1 Smart card for contactless commuting, installation of Arogya Setu app by all commuters and carrying minimum luggage to make the security checking process hassle-free.
In related news, Bangalore Metro operation timings has been extended and from today it will operation from 7 AM to 6 PM with a frequency of five minutes in peak hours and 15 minutes in non-peak hours from Monday to Friday, as announced by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
Metro train will services will not be available on Saturday and Sunday due Covid-19 induced curfew and trains will continue to operate at 50% capacity. However, depending on the patronage, the trains would be operated with increased or decreased frequency, BMRCL said in a statement.