Alstom delivers ahead of schedule the first Kochi Metro trainset

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Alstom has delivered on January 2, 2016, ahead of schedule, the first Metropolis trainset to Kochi Metro Rail (KMRL) of the 25 trainsets ordered by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in August 2014.  An official ceremony was held on this occasion at the Alstoms Sricity facility where the metro was built. Present at the ceremony were Shri. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Urban Development, Parliamentary Affairs, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation; Shri Aryadan Muhammed, Minister for Power & Railways, Kerala; Elias George, Managing Director of KMRL; Mangu Singh, Managing Director of DMRC; Jean Francois Beaudoin, Deputy Senior Vice President, Alstom, Asia Pacific and Bharat Salhotra, Managing Director of Alstom India.

This is the first time that a Metropolis trainset was produced at the Sricity facility in India. The 25 trainsets will circulate on an elevated metro rail network that is 25 km long and includes 22 stations. The line is expected to open in June 2016.

The unique design of the Kochi metro, unveiled in September 2015, has set a new benchmark in urban mobility in India. The front end features LED lights that are in the shape of elephant's tusks. As the metro will run on a viaduct, it will lighten the city at night.

Speaking on the occasion, Elias George, Managing Director of KMRL said, It is a big achievement for Kochi metro. These metro cars are manufactured end-to-end by Alstom in India and are delivered ahead of schedule at a record time of 15 months. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the teams from Alstom, DMRC and KMRL, who worked hard to make it happen.

The delivery of the first train set of Kochi metro marks another major milestone for  Alstom in India. The project re-affirms our strong commitment and endorsement of the make in India initiative of current government. Kochi metro is our second metro contract in the country after Chennai, and with the recent award of the Lucknow contract, we are well geared to serve India. We are proud to be able to contribute to the metro development of the country". Bharat Salhotra commented.

With about 5,000 Metropolis cars sold to over 20 cities, Alstom is one of the largest metro suppliers in the world. Designed to address the specific needs of each city, Metropolis offers a large range of options and configurations, a high level of passenger comfort and innovative features to optimize energy consumption and life cycle costs.