On Sunday, the recently launched Kochi Water Metro witnessed more than 10,000 commuters, making it the first water metro service in Kerala and the country. Various stations of the Kochi Metro have witnessed long queues due to the high number of passengers.
People of all ages were seen crowding at the High Court station, resulting in a large rush throughout the day. The authorities responded to the situation by deploying additional staff from the Kochi Metro, in addition to the Water Metro employees, to manage the massive crowd.
On Saturday, the Kochi Water Metro carried more than 8,415 passengers, with most of the tourists using the Vypin-High Court scenic route. Currently, nine boats are in operation, of which five are used for the Vypin-High Court route. During its first day of commercial service on April 27, the Kochi Water Metro recorded a ridership of 6,559 passengers.
Currently, there are two operational routes for the Kochi Water Metro – (a) High Court to Vypin terminal, and (b) Vyttila to Kakkanad route.
The Vyttila to Kakkanad route is only operational during peak hours, and the metro authorities have announced a timetable for the convenience of passengers.
Morning departure timing –
- 08:00 AM
- 09:30 AM
- 11:00 AM
Evening Departure timing:-
- 03:30 PM
- 05:00 PM
- 06:30 PM
Water Metro service from Kakkanad:-
Morning departure timing –
- 08:40 AM
- 10:10 AM
- 11:40 AM
Evening Departure timing:-
- 04:10 PM
- 05:40 PM
- 07:10 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious Kochi Water Metro service on April 25, 2023. The project was built at a cost of Rs 1,136.83 crore and aims to connect 10 islands through 78 electric boats and 38 terminals, once it is fully operational.