PremiumPrime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for Kochi Metro phase-II and launched various projects of Kochi Metro and Indian Railways worth over ₹4,500 crore including the extension of Kochi Metro Phase-I
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various projects of Kochi Metro and Indian Railways worth over ₹4,500 crore.
The Phase I extension of the Kochi Metro Rail Project has been done from Petta to SN junction.
According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the total cost of the project is over ₹700 crore. Kochi Metro Rail project will be one of the most sustainable metro projects in the country with nearly 55 per cent of its energy needs being met by solar power.
On the implementation of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority in Kochi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this authority will work to integrate all the modes of transport, such as metro, bus, waterway etc.
“With this model of multimodal connectivity, the city of Kochi will have three direct benefits. This will reduce the travel time of the people of the city, reduce the traffic on the roads and reduce the pollution in the city. To protect the environment, India has taken the colossal pledge of net zero, it will also help in that. This will reduce the carbon footprint", the Prime Minister added.
Furthermore, a 27-km double line of the Indian Railways connecting the Kuruppanthara-Kottayam-Chingavanam sections was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The project cost ₹750 crore to complete.
With this, the entire stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru is fully doubled now, promising faster and seamless connectivity. Significantly, lakhs of devotees bound for Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Shrine can conveniently alight at Kottayam or Chengannur railway station in the doubled section and proceed by road to Pamba.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that in the last eight years, the Central Government has continuously worked to make Metro the most prominent mode of urban transport. He also added that the central government has expanded the metro to other big cities of the state, and is not limited just to the capital.
The Prime Minister remarked that the first metro in our country ran about 40 years ago and in the next 30 years, merely 250 km of metro routes were added.
Emphasising the work done in the last 8 years, PM Modi said “More than 500 km of Metro routes have been laid in the country and work on the new route of more than 1000 km is taking place rapidly."
“We are completely transforming Indian Railways. Today, railway stations in the country are also being developed like airports,“ the prime minister added.
PM Modi also inaugurated special train services between Kottayam-Ernakulam and Kollam-Punalur and dedicated to the nation the newly electrified section between Kollam and Punalur that was completed at a cost of ₹76 crore and will boost eco-tourism in addition to serving as a faster and more cost-effective mode of transportation through the picturesque route.