First Metropolis trainset delivered for Kochi Metro Rail

On 02 January 2016, the first of 25 Alstom Metropolis trainsets was delivered ahead of schedule for service on Kochi Metro Rail (KMRL) in the state of Kerala, India.

Image: Alstom

Ordered by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in August 2014, the first trainset of Alstom’s Metropolis type was delivered during a ceremony at marking the occasion. The event took place at the Alstom’s Sricity facility in India where the metro was built. In attendance was Shri. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Urban Development, Parliamentary Affairs, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation; Shri Aryadan Muhammed, Minister for Power & Railways, Kerala; Elias George, Managing Director of KMRL; Mangu Singh, Managing Director of DMRC; Jean Francois Beaudoin, Deputy Senior Vice President, Alstom, Asia Pacific and Bharat Salhotra, Managing Director of Alstom India. The occasion also marked the first manufactured Metropolis trainset at Alstom’s Sricity facility in India.

25 Metropolis trainsets to operate on 25km line of Kochi Metro Rail

The 25 trainsets will circulate on a 25km long elevated metro rail network through Kochi calling at 22 stations between Aluva to Pettna. The line is expected to open in June 2016.

Line under construction

According to Alstom, the unique design of the Kochi metro, unveiled in September 2015, has set a new benchmark in urban mobility in India. The Metropolis can carry up to 100,000 passengers per hour per direction and is designed to meet to needs of each city.

Speaking on the occasion, Elias George, Managing Director of KMRL said: “It is a big achievement for Kochi metro. These metro cars are manufactured end-to-end by Alstom in India and are delivered ahead of schedule at a record time of 15 months. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the teams from Alstom, DMRC and KMRL, who worked hard to make it happen.”

Bharat Salhotra, Managing Director of Alstom India, added: “The delivery of the first train set of Kochi metro marks another major milestone for Alstom in India. The project re-affirms our strong commitment and endorsement of the ‘make in India’ initiative of current government. Kochi metro is our second metro contract in the country after Chennai, and with the recent award of the Lucknow contract, we are well geared to serve India. We are proud to be able to contribute to the metro development of the country.”