With French firm Alstom stating that it can supply the initial set of trains for Kochi Metro by ‘early 2016’, metro stakeholders are hoping to commence trial runs in the Aluva-Palarivattom stretch from February 2016.
The project is scheduled for commissioning by June 2016. “On an average, a month’s oscillation trial and three months’ integrated trial are required before the commissioner for railway safety issues his certificate. Work on coach-maintenance depot at Muttom is set to pick up pace and piling scheduled to commence so that the depot is ready by the time first lot of coaches arrives,” said sources associated with the project.
A team of metro officials reportedly visited Alstom’s coach-manufacturing unit once it was clear that the tender for procuring 75 coaches would be awarded to the firm for Rs 633 crore.
A press release issued by the firm says that 15,000 passengers are expected to travel per hour in one direction in the 25.60-km metro rail network. Alstom will be in charge of design, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 25 standard track gauge trains with an option to supply 25 additional metro trains. Each train will have 3 coaches, will be 65 m long and have a capacity to carry up to 975 passengers. The trains will have a maximum operational speed of 80 km/hr, and will be fitted with air conditioning and passenger information systems for a high level of passenger comfort. They will be manufactured in the newly built facility of Sricity in Andhra Pradesh.
“Kochi is our second metro contract in the country after Chennai. It confirms our commitment to provide competitive, innovative and high value products and solutions for our customers while serving the ever growing urban transportation market in India,” said Dominique Pouliquen, senior vice-president of Alstom Transport Asia-Pacific.
