KOCHI: In just six years, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd, or KMRL, has established itself as the spine of urban Kochi, guiding the growth of the city and its transport. It is in the process of extending its reach to other parts of the city to put an end to, or at least minimise, the city’s traffic woes. Ahead of the Metro’s sixth anniversary on Saturday, TNIE reporter Aishwarya Prabhakaran sketches the journey so far.
The beginning
In line with the vision of the Union and state governments of modernising transport infrastructure in Kerala, KMRL began in 2012 by commencing the metro rail project in Kochi, a Tier-II city. So far, KMRL has fully commissioned and operationalised the 25.2-km-long phase-1 corridor of the Kochi Metro Rail Project from Aluva to Petta, comprising 22 stations. The network was extended to SN Junction in 2022, and is expected to cover Tripunithura by the end of this year. From about 25,000 per day, the average ridership of Kochi Metro has gone up to 80,000. Once the Tripunithura stretch is operationalised, ridership is expected to cross over a lakh per day.
Phase-1 extension up to Tripunithura
Working towards its vision of extending the Metro’s reach to Tripunithura, the erstwhile capital of Cochin, KMRL has begun work on extending the rail network. Already, phase-1 extension from Petta to SN Junction, a distance of 1.8 km and having two stations, is over and commissioned, while work on the final leg, which terminates at Tripunithura, is progressing fast. It is proposed to develop Tripunithura into a major satellite town of Kochi comprising a mobility hub by commissioning the final Metro station in Phase-1 and linking it with the railway station and proposed terminal.
Sustainable KMRL
KMRL received widespread praise for its thrust on sustainability-driven projects like harnessing solar power and rainwater harvesting. KMRL meets 55% of its power requirements through its solar plants, one of the highest in the country by any standards. KMRL also targets being energy neutral at the earliest and is looking to set up more solar power plants.
Did You Know?
A large quantity of electricity powering the Kochi Metro Rail is generated when the trains simply apply the brakes at each station. According to KMRL officials, almost 40% of the total energy utilised by the trains is produced through the process, called ‘regenerative braking system’. The stretch between Aluva and SN Junction has 22 stations. “Under regenerative braking system, kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy when the brakes of the trains are applied at each station,” a technical officer explained.
Several firsts:
Kochi Metro is the first metro rail system in India to be operated using the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, which requires minimum human intervention. It engages nearly 1,000 members of Kudumbashree, Kerala’s women’s self-help group, at its stations. KMRL is also one of the first companies in India to employ members of the transgender community to undertake customer-facing services. At present, seven transgender people are working with KMRL. First metro to meet more than 50% of its power requirements through solar power. First metro to have intermodal connectivity with a water transport system
The plan
It should be mentioned that one of the primary endeavours of KMRL is to integrate all public transport — waterways, taxis, auto rickshaws, KSRTC, and private buses — into a centralised management system. Entering the sixth year of its operation, KMRL is focused on launching a dedicated ride-hiring app, ‘One-Di’ that integrates the metro’s feeder network.
Route map
1999: Government led by E K Nayanar moots a metro project
July 21, 1999: Rail India Technological and Economic Services assigned to conduct a feasibility study for a metro rapid transport system in Kochi. Report submitted the same year.
December 22, 2004: Oommen Chandy government assigns Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to prepare a detailed project report for the metro project
2006-2010: Centre expresses doubts on economic viability of the project, puts it on backburner
January 2, 2008: V S Achuthanandan government approves the Kochi Metro rail project in a cabinet meeting, sends it to Centre for ratification
March 28, 2012: KMRL decides to entrust the Kochi Metro rail project work to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
July 3, 2012: Centre gives green signal
September 13, 2012: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh lays the foundation stone for the project
April, 4, 2013: KMRL signs contract with DMRC
June 7, 2013: Groundwork begins
June 19, 2013: State cabinet approves 22 proposed stations
June 2013: Construction work of Kochi Metro stretch from Aluva to Palarivattom begins
September 30, 2013: Construction of first station at Kaloor starts
December 2013: French Development Agency (AFD) agrees to fund KMRL project
January 23, 2016: Then CM Oommen Chandy flags off first trial run
February 27, 2016: First test run between Muttom Yard depot and Kalamassery
June 17, 2017: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the Kochi Metro’s commercial operations
January 2023: Groundwork for Kochi Metro Phase II, connecting city centre to Infopark at Kakkanad, begins
December 2023: SN Junction -Tripunithura stretch to be opened
Gross Income (Approx. in Rs crore)
2017-18 64.08
2018-19 105.75
2019-20 134.95
2020-21 167.46
2021-22 142.30
Loss incurred (Aprox. in Rs crore)
2014-15 19.82
2015-16 20.13
2016-17 14.70
2017-18 167.33
2018-19 281.23
2019-20 310.82
2020-21 334.41
2021-22 339.54
Birthday Offer:
On its sixth anniversary (June 17), passengers can travel to any station at just Rs 20.