India’s first water metro, the Kochi Water Metro, a network of air-conditioned electric-hybrid ferry service in the Greater Kochi region, became operational on Tuesday. , photo credit: Tulsi Kakkat
The Kochi water metro ferry will eventually raise the standard of living of people living in the islands, which he would call, Industries Minister P. Rajeev said after flagging off a vessel on the High Court-Vypin corridor here on Tuesday. Minister Narendra Modi launched the Water Metro Project.
The ₹1,136 crore project will propel Kochi into the league of cities whose living standards are at par with those of the developed world. The project which will significantly reduce carbon emissions is being funded by the state government and a loan is being obtained from German lending agency KfW. Every Malayali should be proud of this as it will be a role model for other Indian cities. He said that the Cochin Shipyard, which was entrusted with the construction of the first batch of 23 vessels by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited, had created history in that regard.
India’s first water metro, the Kochi Water Metro, a network of air-conditioned electric-hybrid ferry service in the Greater Kochi region became operational on Tuesday. The ₹1,136 crore project is being funded by the state government, that too with a soft loan from German funding agency, KfW. , photo credit: Tulsi Kakkat
Shri Rajeev said that this project is another crown for Kerala, which is globally recognized as a must-see destination. He launched the website of the project and handed over the first Integrated Mobility Card of Metro to Mayor M Anil Kumar. Shri Rajiv, Shri Anilkumar, MP Hibi Eden, MLA, Chief General Manager of Water Metro Shaji Janardhan, COO Sajan P. John and Project Director MP Ramnawas were among those who took the ferry ride.
The commercial operation of the project will start from 7 am on Wednesday on the High Court-Vypin route and on the Vytila-Kakkanad route from Thursday. Ferries run every 15 minutes during peak hours, and on demand at other times. The service will continue till 8 pm Loknath Behera, managing director of KMRL and Kochi Water Metro Limited (KWML), will board the ship from Vypin.
The fare on the High Court-Vypin route is ₹20 and on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route the fare is ₹30. The passes are available for ₹180, ₹600 and ₹1,500 for different durations. Once all 78 ferries are ready, they will connect 38 terminals spread over 76 km. The 100-passenger capacity ferry can achieve a speed of 8 knots (15 kmph) in battery mode and 10 knots (18 kmph) in hybrid mode. The 23 ferries will be followed by another batch of 55 fifty-passenger ferries.
With the launch of the country’s first water metro project, Kochi has become the only city in India to have a metro-rail network and a water metro. Kollam, Nileswaram and Azhikal were the first ferries to operate with guests on board in the corridor. The first passengers were 10 disabled children and their parents from the Center for Empowerment and Promotion.
The AC electric-hybrid ferry is believed to be a waterway extension of the Kochi Metro and has similar interiors. They will provide islanders with modern and fast connectivity to the mainland, while tourists will be able to avail backwater cruises at affordable prices.