The special-purpose trailers carrying the first lot of three Kochi metro coaches arrived at Aluva on Saturday.
They will be parked in between Aluva and the Muttom coach depot till Sunday morning.
A team of experts from the coach manufacturer Alstom have arrived at the depot from Andhra Pradesh with specialised machinery and cranes to oversee safe unloading. They began their 710-km journey from Sri City in Andhra Pradesh on January 2.
Certification of machinery
Citing reason for a day’s delay in the coaches entering the depot, metro sources said that the safety consultant has to certify the machinery to be used for unloading and other amenities at the yard.
One coach is scheduled to be unloaded into the bay built for the purpose on Sunday, while the other two will be unloaded on Monday.
They will then be taken to the inspection bay, where they will be inspected and coupled together for commencing test run on the 975-metre test track within the depot. The formal test run is set to commence on January 23 after the coaches are unveiled.
The cost of each coach could be minimised to Rs.8.43 crore since Alstom was awarded a flexi-contract, sans too many micro specifications. The trains can begin unmanned (pilotless) operations if the driver console is removed and signalling software is overlaid, metro sources said.
Each coach has four external sliding doors on each side, to enable fast embarking and disembarking of passengers at stations.
The other features include dynamic route map, announcements in English, Malayalam and Hindi, LCD displays for visual communication, four CCTV cameras in each coach, emergency intercom at doorways, fire-warning alarm, charging units for electronic devices, disabled friendly systems, space allotted for wheelchair and customised cushions for pregnant women.
