[Pics] Kochi Metro’s Line-1 Ready to Go Live with 11 Stations

With just 2 days left for its inauguration & 4 days to open to the public, here’s a picture-post showcasing the 11 stations on Line-1 of Kochi Metro which’ll soon become India’s 8th operational metro system. The entire 25.6 km Line-1 with 22 stations was originally planned to open in 2016, but poor land acquisition progress as well as contractor-led delays forced the operator to curtail its plans and first start services on a smaller 13 km stretch.

Civil work for this 1st stretch, from Aluva to Pallarivatom, started in June 2013 by Larsen & Toubro for 2 civil packages: KC-01 (Aluva – Kalamassery) & KC-02 (Kalamassery – JLN Stadium) and was directly managed by a team from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Following the completion of civil work at different sites, the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. (KMRL), one by one, took over and worked with Tata Elxsi to develop a strong brand identity for itself and create rich visually-appealing themes for each station, with the Western Ghats as its central element, to showcase different aspects of Kochi and Kerala.

The stations were originally supposed to have platform screen doors, but its high procurement and installation costs made DMRC & KMRL drop the idea on the onset. The system aims to become carbon neutral in the future, and in order to come close to achieving that goal, the roofs of various sheds at the Muttom depot and all stations include solar panels to generate 4MW of electricity – enough to power up each station’s lighting fixtures and escalators.

Aluva – Palarivottom section – View Kochi Metro map and information

Here are some fantastic images courtesy KMRL’s FB page which were shot over the past 2 months while finishing works were at different stages of completion –

Aluva Station

Theme: Nature & Periyar River

Pulinchodu Station

Theme: Flora & Fauna

Companypady Station

Theme: Hills & Peaks

– No images available at this time.

Ambattukavu Station

Theme: Snails, Slugs & Snakes

Muttom Station

Theme: Birds

Kalamassery Station

Theme: Western Ghats

CUSAT Station

Theme: Kerala’s Maritime History

Pathadipalam Station

Theme: Fish

Edappally Station

Theme: Kerala’s Spices & Crops

Changampuzha Park Station

Theme: Kerala’s Culture & Art

– No images available at this time. See station design here.

Palarivattom

Theme: Flowers


Video
: Local news coverage on each station’s theme –

A brief history of the line’s testing, train operation plan and fare chart can be viewed here.

For more updates, check out the Kochi section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

5 Responses to "[Pics] Kochi Metro’s Line-1 Ready to Go Live with 11 Stations"

  1. Nilay says:

    The stations are beautifully​ decorated. Best if compared to other Indian metros in my opinion.

    I hope other Indian metros follow this trend.
    Worldwide I guess Moscow metro stations are the best. ??

    Reply
  2. Deepak says:

    It’s an example of awesome architecture! I am really disappointed with Navi Mumbai Metro, really disappointed! Kochi Metro’s construction had started much later than NMM and still CIDCO says it “hopes” to operationalize NMM by 2018 ? And NMM wouldn’t even be anything extraordinary except its better looking piers and viaducts.

    Reply
  3. Muthu says:

    Amazingly well done on the aesthetics front which many other metros grossly lack!

    Reply
  4. Santhosh says:

    Very beautiful. It’s upto Kochi people now to maintain it the same way.

    Reply
  5. AMS says:

    visual treat to eyes. truly blending with the existing nature

    Reply

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