A group of 40 children from special schools were the first to arrive at Yamuna, the first train to start commercial operation in the 1.80-km Petta-SN Junction extension of the Kochi Metro, which was constructed at a cost of ₹453 crore.
All eyes turned to a young man disguised as King Mahabali, as children waited online for nearly an hour for the train to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first train was manned by a woman loco pilot, Anisha. Some children were carried on the train in wheelchairs.
commuter responses
Asha Lakshmi and Maradu’s friend were also among those who traveled in the trains that followed. “We are glad that after a hard wait the Metro has been extended up to Thripunithura and hope that its further extension near Thripunithura Railway Station will be completed as per schedule,” he said.
Then Manoj N. Anandan and he had two children, who lived near the SN Junction metro station, who returned to the station from Vadakkekotta. “After seeing the development of the metro stations, we were keen to explore the interiors of both the stations” [which have been done up in Ayurveda and Freedom Struggle themes, respectively]”, said Mr Anandan and explained how his house was among those in the neighborhood who had suffered damage due to piling for the station.
He said that the metro should have been extended to Aluva railway station adjacent to the terminal station of Aluva, which would automatically improve the number of passengers in the metro.
There were others like Ranjit Krishna, who lives in a nearby apartment, who came to Petta and returned. “I could not see the historical buildings on the sides, as it was dark. I look forward to coming again on Friday to have a glimpse,” he said.
road connectivity
The office-bearers of the Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Association (TRURA), which spearheaded the drive to extend the metro beyond Petta, expressed hope that the state government would allocate funds for the construction of a 22-metre wide road beneath the upcoming SN Junction-Tripunithura terminal. Will do Like the rest of the Metro Corridor, the Station Metro Viaduct extends further to Hill Palace Road.
“On its part, the KMRL could have utilized the time period of two months since June, when the Commissioner of Railway Safety issued a safety certificate for the 1.8-km Petta-SN junction extension, till its commissioning on Thursday, on footpaths. And TRURRA Convenor VC Jayendran and President VP Prasad said, “Reconstruction works of the road on the busy road below.”
They were also criticizing the Petta-SN Junction extension for not organizing the flag-off ceremony at Thripunithura.