Kochi Water Metro: Cost-effective, Disability-Friendly & More. India's 1st Water Metro Has Many Specialties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off the Kochi Water Metro, set to revolutionize the transport system in Kerala. Read more here

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier termed the Kochi Water Metro a “dream project” of the state that would accelerate the growth and development of Kochi.

With the launching of the flagship project set up at a cost of Rs 1,136.83 crore in the port city, one more assurance given to the people of the state by the LDF government is being fulfilled, Vijayan had said in a Facebook post.

In a tweet, he had said exciting times are ahead for the southern state’s transport and tourism sectors.

“The world-class #KochiWaterMetro is setting sail! It is Kerala’s dream project connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi. KWM with 78 electric boats & 38 terminals cost 1,136.83 crores, funded by GoK & KfW,” he tweeted.

KfW is a German funding agency.

The Kochi Water Metro

As a first phase of the project, service would begin soon from High Court-Vypin terminals to Vyttila-Kakkanad terminals, the Chief Minister said in his Facebook post.

The cost-effective and secure journey in air-conditioned boats would help people to reach their respective destinations without being stuck in traffic snarls, he said.

Passengers can travel in both Kochi metro and water metro using the “Kochi 1” card. They can also book the tickets digitally, the CM added. The Kochi Water Metro is marketed as being air-conditioned, electrically operated, and accessible to people with disabilities, and it has 38 terminals and 78 electric boats make up the water metro.

Towards Sustainability

The expansion and development of Kochi and the State of Kerala as a whole have been significantly influenced by water transportation. 90% of Keralans used tiny boats to get to the mainland, where they could sell their wares, around the turn of the 20th century. However, as new roads and bridges were constructed, they gradually began switching to road-based transportation. Less than 3% of locals now commute by inland waterway, according to a report by Cities Development Initiative for Asia.

This modal shift in Kochi has increased traffic congestion and air pollution, which are made worse by unplanned urban growth, a sparse road network, and the city’s nearly doubling private vehicle ownership rate, the report says.

According to a report, this extensive urban water transportation system, the first of its type in India and South Asia, will link the island towns of Kochi with the mainland via a fleet of 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats that travel along 38 contemporary terminals and 15 routes totaling 76 km. The remaining 78 boats will each hold 50 passengers, with 23 of them having a capacity of 100.

The boats use Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) batteries, which can be charged using a specifically developed charging mechanism in about 15 minutes. LTO batteries have a lifespan of between 7 and 10 years, making them not only the longest-lasting commercially accessible battery in the world but also the safest.

‘Disability-friendly’

Shaji P.J., Chief General Manager at KMRL told the CDIA that the Kochi Water Metro “has a lot of green initiatives attached to it, it is a disable-friendly system, and it is connecting with other transport modes. We are one step ahead in the shipping industry, such that we are already incorporating a variety of innovations into the system.”

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