PM Modi flags off Kochi's first Metro train, takes ride with E Sreedharan, CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 13.2 km sector of Kochi Metro project from Alwaye to Jawaharlal Nehru stadium at Kaloor.

Before the inauguration the Prime Minister, along with the Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu boarded the Metro from Palarivattom station for a short ride.

The Prime Minister lauded the Kochi Metro for the environment friendly nature of the project as it depend on solar power to a great extent. He said that it is a model project as it employs nearly 1000 women and 23 members from the transgender community.

He also appreciated the initiatives of the Kochi metro like the Kochi 1 smart card and the Kochi 1 mobile app, which were launched at the inaugural venue.

The PM said that nearly 50 cities in the country are getting ready for setting up Metro rail projects. The economic and social benefits of metro rail are now well known. The Government has standardised the specifications for rolling stock and signalling systems. This will help more investment to come into these sectors, he added.

The Union Urban development Minister said that the Rs 5180 crore Kochi Metro project has been completed at record time without any cost overruns.

Earlier, the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the Centre’s approach to development issues of the state as “positive”. The state has been receiving positive support from the centre on development issues. He however added that the Centre has to extent more support to the Kerala as its resources are limited.

The Kochi Metro will have many 'firsts' for India. The city will be the first one in the country to have a 'water metro', which will be a feeder service to the rail metro. That will in turn make it India's first integrated multi-model transport system.

1. Kochi will be the first Indian city to have a 'water metro' which will be the feeder service to the rail metro. That's what will make it India's first integrated multi-model transport system.

2. It will be the country's first government agency to hire transgender people; 23 are expected to be on duty for the inaugural run.

3. This new metro will be India's first to extensively use solar panels. As many as 22 stations on the final 25-km full stretch of the rail line will have solar panels.

4. The Kochi Metro plans to meet 25 percent of its electricity needs from solar power.

5. In another likely first, the metro network will use compost generated from municipal waste to fertilize the vertical garden it plans to maintain on some of its pillars.