Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the phase-one extension of the Kochi metro as well as laid the foundation stone of Kochi Metro Phase 2 on Thursday. Before the inauguration, officials said a “metro revolution” is happening in the country, with the number of cities having a transport network rising to 20 from five in 2014. The metro network in the nation has grown from 248 km in 2014 to 775 km and is still set on the path to growing even more. It is to be noted that the construction of 1,000 km of the metro is underway.
“In 2014, the total Metro network in the country was 248 km. Today, the total Metro network in the country is 775 km. Another 1,000 km of the metro network is under construction. This is a part of the Metro revolution happening in the country under the Modi government,” an official said.
Modi inaugurated the phase one extension of the Kochi Metro rail project from Petta to SN junction. The total cost of the project is over Rs 700 crore.
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The 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, officials said. He also laid the foundation stone for the phase-two stretch of the Kochi Metro rail project from JLN stadium to Infopark, having a length of 11.2 km and covering 11 stations. The total estimated cost of this project is around Rs 1,950 crore, they said.
According to a PMO statement, the proposed Phase II line of the Kochi Metro Rail Project is designed to connect the city’s District Headquarters, Special Economic Zone, and IT Hub with the current metro rail network in order to meet the expanding transportation needs of Kochi City. When complete, the combined Phase I and Phase II metro network would connect the city’s key residential and commercial centers with significant transit hubs, like train stations and bus terminals, supporting the ideas of multi-modal integration and last-mile connection.
With inputs from PTI