KOCHI: As the Kochi Metro Rail enters the home stretch before its grand opening, the service trials are progressing as per plan.
On Tuesday, trials were conducted from 6 am to 10 pm between Aluva and Palarivattom using five trains, with a 10-minute interval between each service.
“A total of 188 trips were conducted on Tuesday. The service trials with five sets of trains will continue on Wednesday also,” said a KMRL officer.
Till Monday, four trains were used for trials, with 142 trips daily. Now, the KMRL has increased the frequency of services and it is likely to be hiked further in the coming days.
The trains will halt at all stations between Aluva and Palarivattom during the trials.
Also, the signalling system, passenger announcement, display settings on the interior and exterior of stations, communication-based train control system (CBTC) and other features will be evaluated and assessed by the authorities concerned.
Six sets of trains will be used at the launch of the commercial operations. Each set of trains will have three coaches.
Mock fire drill
The KMRL conducted a mock fire drill at Kalamassery station the other day. According to KMRL, fire drills are critical for ensuring the safety of the staff, passengers, building and property. Conducting such drills will help make people aware of the safety measures to be adopted during a fire.
A five-member team from the Kerala State Fire and Rescue Services also gave training to the operation and maintenance staff of KMRL on the evacuation process in case of any untoward incident.