Kochi Water Metro

Kochi Water Metro (KWM) is a 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. When fully operational, it will connect Kochi’s 10 island communities with the mainland through a fleet of 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats operating along 38 terminals and 16 routes spanning 76 kilometres. The first phase of 23 boats is yet to be operations (16 operational as of 30-Dec-2024). It is integrated with the Kochi Metro and serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accessibility is limited.
Construction started in 2016, and the first route between Vyttila 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 150,000. It is also described as the largest electric-boat metro transportation infrastructure being implemented in the world.
Two variants of modernised air-conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled catamaran passenger boats were proposed for the project. The electric propulsion boats has a passenger capacity of 50 and 100 operate at an optimal speed of about 15 kilometres per hour, with the potential to increase up to 19 kilometres per hour (10 knots). Of these only the 100 passenger boats have been ordered for manufacturing and for the 50 passenger capacity boats the builder is yet to be finalised. The boats are equipped with standard safety and communication devices. Small battery operated boats ply on the narrow lanes. The headways vary between 10 minutes to 20 minutes across various routes. The jetties are proposed to have floating pontoons with automatic docking system technology. The floating pontoons are covered with retractable sheds to provide comfort during rainy season.
As part of the infrastructure, Intelligent Navigation System and Operation Control Centre (OCC) are also proposed and will be integrated with the city's intelligent transportation system. The Automatic Fare Collection system being implemented by the Kochi Metro will be extended to water transport system which facilitates travelling the metro train and the boat using the same ticket.
Apart from ferry service, the project also contemplates development of the new and existing access roads to jetties and islands. Two boatyards are proposed, at Thevara and Pizhala. The project also seeks to improve livelihoods in the areas along the backwaters and the islands in Kochi. Tourism is also proposed to be promoted as part of the project. Cochin Shipyard delivered the first of 23 electric ferries in January 2022.
The phase 1 consists of 3 lines out of which the Vytilla--InfoPark was inaugurated on 15 February 2021. The Vypin--High Court line began service on 26 April 2023 and the Vyttila--Kakkanad line began service on 27 April 2023. Phase 1 is expected to be fully operational in 2024 and on becoming so, it is expected to serve 34,000 passengers a day. The entire water metro system is expected to become fully operational by 2035 with a daily ridership of 1.5 lakh passengers. The annual carbon emissions is also expected to reduce by 44,000 tonnes once the project is fully operational.
Kochi is mostly surrounded by backwaters and bordered by the Arabian Sea. It is interconnected by hundreds of waterways, which offers a way to make the public transport system much more accessible and environment friendly. Water Metro is expected to solve the travel issues of the islanders of Willington, Kumbalam Vypeen, Edakochi, Nettoor, Vyttila, Eroor, Kakkanad, and Mulavukad. In the first phase, the water metro started sailing on two routes, High Court to Vypin and Vyttila to Kakkanad with eight electric-hybrid boats.
On 14 March 2024, two new routes and four stations were inaugurated. One route is from High Court station to South Chittoor, through Bolgatty and Mulavukad North, while the other route is from South Chittoor to Cheranelloor through Eloor.
The total cost of the Water Metro project is ₹1,137 crore (US$130 million). The KfW Development Bank will be providing EUR 85 million as long term soft loan and the Government of Kerala and KMRL will be contributing ₹102 crore (US$12 million).
The minimum ticket price of the metro system is 20 rupees and the maximum ticket charge is 40 rupees. Weekly passes are available at 180 rupees whereas a monthly pass costs 600 rupees and a quarterly 1500. Single journey tickets and various travel passes are available from the ticket counters in the terminals. Water Metro can be accessed using the Kochi Metro One card. It is also possible to travel using the mobile QR code booked through the Kochi One app.
In the first phase, the service will be provided from 7 am to 8 pm. The service frequency is 15 minutes during peak hours.
Kochi Water Metro Limited has been formed as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with 74% of the shareholding being owned by the Kerala government and 26% by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). It is operated and maintained by the KMRL.
Kochi Water Metro has two types of boats that can carry 100 passengers and 50 passengers at a time. These boats have won the Gussis Electric Boat Award, an international award for electric boats. The boats and terminals are designed as fully disabled-friendly. Kochi Water Metro has the innovation of a boat that can be operated in battery and hybrid mode. These boats are built in a hybrid system and are completely eco-friendly. Boats can be powered by a diesel generator in case of emergency.
Kochi Water Metro is also first of a kind in the world to have such an extensive network of battery-powered boats. The boats uses lithium titanate oxide battery that can be charged very quickly and meets high safety standards. It can be charged in 10–15 minutes and there is a facility to charge the batteries even when the passengers are boarding and disembarking. The speed of the boat is 8 knots in battery mode and 10 knots in hybrid mode.
There are arrangements to automatically monitor the movement of the boat from the operating control center at Vyttila hub. A thermal camera is also equipped to assist the boat operator during night travel. The boats are also equipped with radars. The passenger counting system is used to enter Kochi Water Metro boats to prevent the number of passengers from getting increased more than the designated level. Floating pontoons which can stay at the same level with the boats during high tide and low tide are the specialty of Kochi Water Metro. The rescue boats of the metro system are able to start rescue operations within 10 minutes in case of any kind of accident.
In November 2022, the International Maritime Organisation officials visited Kochi as a part of their Green Voyage 2050 project and praised Kochi Water Metro project for its unique initiatives. "The purpose of our visit is to learn about the impressive achievement of Kerala in terms of the water metro, a pioneering initiative in sustainable urban water transport and show others across the world that it is possible to have commercial viability, environmental sustainability and societal impact through such services. We hope that the water metro service will be extended to other parts of the state as well”; said IMO department of partnership and projects chief Jose Mathieckal.
Kochi Water Metro secured won awards for excellence in ferry services with the help of advanced technology connecting inland waterways and building excellent terminals providing the best facilities at the Global Maritime India Summit held in Mumbai from 17 to 19 October 2023.