The proposed Kochi metro is likely to use Korean technology, said E Sreedharan, managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
He said preliminary discussion with Korean company, Incheon Metro, was complete and this would be finalised after consultation with the Kerala chief minister, soon. The metro would move on magnetic levitation or magnetic suspension system (Maglev system) without wheels. This system is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Incheon Metro now runs 31.2 km of service with 34 trains in Gyeyang district of Korea.
The technology is expected to reduce the construction cost by 20 per cent and operating cost by 25 per cent. The estimated cost of the Kochi project, which is set to be completed in 2016, is Rs 5,200 crore. The Korean technology will also reduce the time for construction and would require less land, he said. The technology is widely used in Japan and is more suitable for busy metros. The maximum speed attained with this system is 500 km/hour.
DMRC is the consultant and the executing agency for Kochi Metro Rail Limited, the special purpose company to implement the project. The first phase of the project will have 27 km length with 23 stations, stretching from Alwaye on the north and Petta (Thripunithura) on the south. It has been proposed to extend the service to Nedumbassery on the northern side, where the Kochi International airport is situated and towards Kakkanad, the IT hub of the state, in the second phase. It is proposed to be implemented on the lines of Chennai Metro with central assistance.
The project has received in-principal approval from the Planning Commission and is now awaiting central clearance.
