Rail Analysis India June Digital Magazine 2018 | Page 10

12 | Article
Article | 11
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
Mr Thiruman Archunan
director Projects, kochi metro
Images Credit : KOCHI METRO
Mr Thiruman Archunan
Director - Projects
Kochi Metro Rail Limited
‘‘
Incharge of All Civil works related to KMRL( Kochin metro
rail limited): construction of metro stations, viaduct, track,
depot, and others works related to Roads, improvements
to city landscape, Place making and other NMT ( Non-
motorised transport) related works, modernised ferry
services etc.
’’
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Firstly, Congratulations for completing one year of
operations, please share your experience with our
readers on working with Kochi Metro? What have
been the challenges in the first year of operations?
My association with Kochi Metro Started on August 2016
when the construction of first reach was in hectic phase
and company was gearing up for the safety clearances from
commissioner of Railway Safety. It is very glad to share
that we could complete all the works satisfactorily and drive
through all the approvals very smoothly and operations could
start on June 2017 as per target. The commissioning of first
stage 13.4 Km with 11 Stations is completed in a record time
of less than 4 years.
celebration, free ride was made available to public on 19th
June 2018 on which around 1.5 Lakhs passengers enjoyed
Metro which showed the excitement of people to use metro
facility and KMRL too handled the largest crowd without any
operational problem. Even though our system is one of the
most advanced in the world operation without failures and
causalities will be the greatest challenge of all Operating
Metros especially in its initial stages. Kochi Metro have
completed remarkable one year without any major failures &
casualties providing a new pathway of safe & efficient Metro
Service.
The first year of operation was very hopeful as well as
challenging one. It’s our pleasure to share that around 1.5
crore persons have used Kochi Metro in its first year of
operation with an average of 35000 commuters per day. This
is one of the great achievement by any metro in its initial &
partial commissioning stage. Also as part of its first anniversary
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