KOCHI: With the completion of the 24km-long stretch of the first phase of Kochi Metro Rail between Aluva and Petta, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will close down its Kochi office by September. DMRC had commenced its remarkable journey with the submission of the draft project report (DPR) for the Kochi Metro in 2005. Its Kochi office was established in 2009 and the preparatory work connected with Kochi Metro had got under way in November 2011 with the rebuilding of the Ernakulam North Road Overbridge (RoB).
The agency has archived its journey along with Kerala’s prestigious project. The newspaper clippings from 2009 to 2020 maintained at the DMRC office have been turned into booklet form and handed over to the Regional Archives Centre, Ernakulam, where it will be available for reference. It will also provide a wealth of information to transport research scholars and students. In a brief handover ceremony held at the DMRC office, K S Krishnakumar, project director, DMRC, handed over the 100 booklets to P K Sajeev, superintendent of Regional Archives, and Abdul Nazar, archivist.
A remarkable journey
Kochi office was established in 2009
Kochi Metro preparatory works
launched in November 2011
Construction of Kochi Metro commenced on June 7, 2013
Reach 1 between Aluva and Palarivattom (13 km) inaugurated in June 2017
Extension between Palarivattom and Maharaja’s College commissioned
in October 2017.
Maharaja’s College-Thykoodam section opened on September 3, 2019
Thykoodam-Petta stretch completed in May 2020 (ready for commissioning)