Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has received authorisation from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) to operate services on the recently completed Thykoodam-Pettah stretch.
A five-member team led by K. Manoharan, CMRS, inspected the 1.33-km corridor and the Pettah station on Tuesday, following which the authorisation certificate was issued.
KMRL has been operating services up to Thykoodam since September 2019. The extension of operation to Pettah signals the completion of the Kochi metro’s first phase, a distance of 25 km from Aluva. Trains cover the distance in 45 minutes, while the fare ranges from ₹10 to ₹60.
Govt. nod awaited
“The viaduct and the station had been completed in March. The inspection was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resume operations on the entire route as soon as we get the government’s nod,” said Alkesh Kumar Sharma, managing director, KMRL.
DMRC’s role
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which readied the detailed project report (DPR) and was the project consultant, began work on the ₹5,181-crore mass rapid transport system in September 2012 after then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid its foundation stone.
A foot-by-foot survey was conducted, encroachments cleared, foopaths widened, trees felled, and a few buildings fully or partially pulled down for erecting metro pillars with a width of up to 2 metres.
The 12-km Aluva-Palarivattom stretch was commissioned in June 2017, while the stretch up to the Maharaja’s College Ground was commissioned in October that year.
Inspection
On Wednesday, the team led by the CMRS inspected civil structures like pile foundation, piers, girders, special bridges, and steel bridges, apart from various design aspects and tracks in either direction.
They also inspected lifts and escalators at the Pettah station, fire hydrants and a fire fighting system, third rail from which trains source power, auxiliary and traction sub stations, emergency tripping switch, and emergency telephones.
