The naval architect in Elias George refuses to fade even 36 years after he graduated from the Cochin University of Science and Technology and a 34-year career as a civil servant.
The 60-year-old managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is upbeat as he looks forward to taking up the second phase of the Kochi metro from Palarivattom to Kakkanad and the ₹819-crore Water metro project, an integrated water transport system allied to the Kochi metro. Excerpts from an interview:
What is unique about the Kochi metro?
A key aspect of the metro is the use of modern technology. Unlike other metros, we have opted for a third traction (a track laid beside the metro track from which trains source power) since overhead lines will become eyesores along the metro viaduct.
The Kochi metro is also the first to have theme-based stations. We have tried to be both gender-friendly and differently abled-friendly. Free Wi-Fi too is in the offing. The stations will also display literary quotes, emulating the Tube in London, which has poems displayed on trains.
What would be the biggest contribution of the metro to Kochi?
The metro will usher in better civic sense and offer a safe commuting mode for women and children. It will raise Kochi's brand equity globally.
What role do you see the Water metro playing in the overall transportation plan for the city?
As I have always said, it will be a bigger gamechanger than the metro itself, especially for the Greater Kochi region. A few cities worldwide have a good water transport system. The Water metro will make Kochi the first Indian city where there will be seamless integration between the metro and water transport. The Water metro will feature 78 fast, sleek and fuel-efficient ferries which will operate as a water-based feeder service for the Kochi metro. The first lot of boats is expected in the second half of 2018, while the full batch will be operational by 2021.
How would the Water metro function and how do you propose to fund the project?
The project envisages the development of 16 routes, connecting 38 jetties across 10 islands and spanning a total route network of 76 km.
German bank KfW will extend a financial assistance of €85 million (₹597 crore) as a long-term soft loan.
Only less than 10 of the 200 global metro rail systems generate profit...
The whole metro team is brainstorming on how to plug the expected ₹20 crore to ₹40 crore revenue-expenditure gap expected when the metro becomes operational.
