19

Apr 2024

  • By Travelspoc

India’s First Water Metro Launched In Kochi

Kochi Water Metro is an integrated ferry transport system serving the Greater Kochi region in Kerala, India. It is the first water metro system in India and the first integrated water transport system of this size in Asia, which connects Kochi’s 10 island communities with the mainland through a fleet of 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats plying along 38 terminals and 16 routes spanning 76 kilometers. It is integrated with the Kochi Metro and serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accesibility is limited.

The construction work started in 2016 and it’s first route between Vytilla and InfoPark was inaugurated in February 2021 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. It was officially inaugurated and opened to passengers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 April 2023. Kochi Water Metro is expected to become fully operational by 2035 with a daily commuter-count of 1.5 lakh passengers. It is also described as possibly the largest electric boat metro transportation infrastructure being implemented in the world.