President Pranab Mukherjee will launch the new line of the Bengaluru Namma Metro at 7:30 pm
Kochi got its first metro line today, while Bengaluru too added a line to the existing Namma Metro under Phase 1 of the mega project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the Kochi Metro at 11 am today, while President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the new line of the Bengaluru Metro around 7:30 pm. PM Modi took a ride on the Kochi Metro. He was joined by other dignitaries including Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu as well as E Sreedharan, popularly known as India's 'Metro Man'.
Here are the highlights from the inauguration of the new Kochi Metro and Bengaluru Metro line:
Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has reached Bengaluru ahead of the launch of the new Bengaluru Metro line.
5 Pics: PM Modi Flags Off Kochi Metro, Photo GalleryPrime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kochi Metro, Kerala's first metro line, and took a ride aboard one of its trains on Saturday morning. He inaugurated the first phase of the Kochi metro, which covers 13.2 km of the total planned 25 km." Here are 5 photographs from the launch.
Photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the Kochi Metro
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the inauguration of the Kochi Metro rail, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, "A dream is now a reality."
Inaugurating the Kochi Metro rail, Prime Minister Modi said it is "futuristic infrastructure that will contribute to India's growth"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially flags off the Kochi Metro
The chief minister also said that Kochi will soon get a 'water metro', as well as a metro bus and bike sharing, which will help create a multi-modal mobility system in the city.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanked all the workers who were a part of the construction of the Kochi Metro:
The construction of the Kochi Metro began in 2013 and was tasked to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The DMRC which was once headed by Mr E Sreedharan, who also acted as an advisor in the new project. According to the Kochi Metro website, the project cost an estimated Rs 5,180 crore. The fare will vary from a minimum of Rs 15 to a maximum of Rs 30.
Taking a step forward, the Kochi Metro Rail Corporation has decided to employ transgender people at stations.
Each station of the Kochi Metro will showcase a theme, such as maritime history, western ghats as well as the local history of the city, among others. Each station will also have solar panels, which will focus on producing 35 per cent of the total power usage.
The Kochi Metro will be the first in India to use Communication Based Train Control technology to maximise frequencies and minimise errors.
The metro will reduce travel time considerably. By road, it takes around 45 minutes to travel from Aluva to Palarivattom. The Metro will reduce the travel time to just 23 minutes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other dignitaries, will take a ride on the Kochi Metro - from the station of Palarivattom to Pathadippalam. With 11 stations covering nearly 13 km - from Palarivattom to Aluva - this is the longest first phase of a metro to be inaugurated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase - 13.2 km of the total 25 km stretch - of the Kochi metro today around 10.30 am.
The Kochi Metro will be formally inaugurated today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also take a ride on the newly constructed rapid transport around 10.30 am. He will be joined by other dignitaries including Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu as well as E Sreedharan, popularly known as India's 'Metro Man'.