The Thykoodam-Petta stretch of Kochi Metro was inaugurated by Minister Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan through video conference.
The final stretch of Kerala metro phase 1 has been completed with the commissioning of Thykoodam-Petta stretch. It has been completed at a cost of Rs 6218 Crores.
Key Points:
i.With the inauguration of a 1.33 km stretch from Thykoodam to Petta, the total operational stretch will be 25.2 kms. With this Kochi Metro would be able to increase ridership to over 1 lakh per day.
ii.Kochi Metro has dedicated walls for the fishermen community who saved thousands during the 2018 kerala floods.
iii.KMRL has engaged persons from LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) community in its operations, making it the first organization to appoint transgender persons in the country.
Theme:
i.The unique feature of Kochi Metro is its theme based metro stations. Based on the core theme of Wester Ghats, Kochi Metro has selected various themes such as Kerala’s heritage, culture and art.
ii.The Petta Metro Station Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) has chosen Fishing as the theme with dedication to the fishermen community of the state.
PPP Model:
i.KMRL has also developed a unique Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model, where capital investment and maintenance cost is taken care by a bank and in return the bank will have a co-branded card for Kochi Metro System.
ii.This is the first time that such a model is being launched and it will change the funding models for Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) systems in the metro industry globally.
Kochi Water Metro Project:
Kochi will become the first city in the country to integrate water transport as feeder service to the metro.
i.KMRL will implement Kochi Water Metro Project at a cost of Rs. 747 crore with financial assistance of German Bank, KFW.
ii.The Kochi Water Metro Project will develop 15 identified routes, connecting 10 islands along a network of routes that span 78 kms and is expected to benefit 1 Lakh islanders.
iii.With the introduction of the project that connects 15 routes, People of Kochi can reach the mainland in less time.
iv.It will have a fleet of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to 38 jetties.
v.The boats will be powered by an electric propulsion system equipped with lithium titanium oxide batteries.
Recent Related News:
i.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau(AAIB) formed a 5-member panel headed by Captain S S Chahar to investigate the circumstances of the Air India Express Dubai-Calicut flight IX 1344Crash at the Kozhikode airport, Kerala on 7th August 2020.
ii.Renjith Kumar, Engineer from Kerala and Indian Entrepreneur based in Virginia is honoured with NASA’s highest form of recognition for a non-governmental individual “NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal”.
About Kerala:
Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan
