With the first lot of three Kochi Metro coaches set to be flagged off from Alstom’s factory in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, on January 2, the firm has expressed interest in taking up their maintenance as well.
“We are also looking for turn-key maintenance of the total 75 coaches that are being built for Kochi. We have tremendous experience in the field and one fourth of our global revenue comes from maintaining metro trains. Proper upkeep is critical for the coaches to have low lifecycle cost during their expected 35-year life,” said the MD (Transport – India and South Asia) of Alstom Bharat Salhotra.
Apart from the Rs 633-crore bid to supply 75 coaches, the firm had also won the contract to install metro’s signalling and telecommunication systems and the third traction to supply power to trains.
The coaches having the façade of a robust tusker (the headlight cluster will resemble a pair of tusks) will begin their journey in three trailer lorries from Sri City after being flagged off by Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu. They will arrive here in three trailer lorries on January 12 and will be coupled together at the metro’s coach depot in Muttom near Aluva.
Test runs
After undergoing test runs in the depot’s 975-metre test track for a few days and being taken to the inspection bay line for periodic review, the coaches will be formally unveiled by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on January 23. They will undergo further tests in the track until February end, following which they will chug out from the depot for trial runs in the Muttom-Edappally metro viaduct where rail-laying is getting over. “The bulk manufacturing of coaches will commence after multiple tests and trial runs, so that alterations in design, components and software can be done if need arises,” Mr Salhotra said.
