By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram


E Sreedharan
Former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief E Sreedharan will head the prestigious Kochi Metro project being implemented jointly by the federal and state governments in Kerala’s port city.
Sreedharan, who will initially work in his capacity as principal adviser to the DMRC which will implement the project on ‘negotiated terms’, has agreed to be the chairman of the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
The state has appointed senior bureaucrat Tom Jose as the managing director of the company while the federal government will nominate the chairman. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the state would propose Sreedharan’s name for the post.
“In any case, Sreedharan will head the project and start the actual work soon. The DMRC will also be part of the project as desired by Sreedharan,” Chandy told reporters after a meeting of the State Planning Board, of which Sreedharan is a member.
He said Sreedharan, who stepped down as DMRC chief last week, would also help the state to implement other prestigious infrastructure projects like the Rs750bn north-south high-speed rail corridor.
Sreedharan said the DMRC, which is currently involved in preparatory works including the construction of two overpasses, has prepared a detailed roadmap for the project which would be completed in three years.
He had held preliminary talks with South Korean subway line Incheon Metro for using the Maglev technology which is “cheaper to operate and offers a smooth ride without jerk or shake” compared to conventional wheels.
Maglev or magnetic levitation means the trains will float over a guideway using the basic principles of magnets to replace the old steel wheel and track trains. Maglev trains do not have an engine used to pull typical train cars along steel tracks.
Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls and the track combine to propel the train. High-speed Maglev vehicles are lifted off their guideway and thus moves smoothly, quietly and requires less maintenance.
Sreedharan, 79, had earlier rejected the federal government’s offer to extend his service for another five years saying he wanted to lead a peaceful life in his home state and was planning to settle down at Ponnani in Malappuram district.
Sreedharan who inspected the ongoing preparatory work undertaken by the DMRC, has blamed the KMRC and the State Electricity Board for not co-operating for expediting the work. He however asserted that the two overpasses being constructed would be completed within 18 months as originally planned.
“Ninety percent of the metro needs no land acquisition and so the work can start anytime. If the project gets delayed, people will be at a loss. I think the chief minister has been convinced about it,” Sreedharan said, urging the media not to drag the project into unnecessary controversies.