Kochi: Kochi Metro is a Made in India story. The coaches have been entirely designed and manufactured in the country as per the 'Make in India' campaign launched by prime minister Narendra Modi.
Kochi Metro owes manufacturing giant Alstom as much as it owes the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The coaches were made in Alstom's plant in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh. The French company has taken up Rs 500 crore contracts for the coaches as well as the signaling, telecommunication and electrification systems.
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The French connection does not end there. The Kochi Metro has drawn a loan from France's development aid agency, AFD.
The Kochi Metro is a landmark for Alstom, which has introduced a communication-based train control system (CBTC) for the first time in India.
Other Metros in the country are in the process of incorporating the state-of-the-art system that allows more trains to run on a single line with more frequency. The system claims to be foolproof because it is run by signaling sensors, ruling out any room for man-made error.
The technology has been used successfully in over 50 Metros worldwide for 15 years.
Kochi Metro's coaches stand out from their counterparts in the other cities. All coaches have USB ports.
Seats reserved for pregnant women, aged people and physically challenged persons have been color-coded. Special space has been prepared for wheel chair-bound passengers behind the driver's seat. The wheel chairs could be locked while the train moves.
The coaches could accommodate more standing people.
The unique headlamps give the Metro the appearance of a tusker.