Water Metro in Kochi to boost ease of living with its infrastructure and network
KOCHI: With the launch of the Water Metro, Kochi will become the first city in India to have both rail and water metro operations providing last-mile connectivity. On April 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the country’s first water metro, which will ensure the ease of travel of a conventional metro system and boost ease of living.
The central government has made a conscious choice to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to providing infrastructure and connectivity. A prime example of this approach is seen in the expansion of metro connectivity in the country.
There are three types of metro rail systems in India: metro lite, metro neo and regional rapid transit system (RRTS). The low-cost mass rapid transport system, metro lite, provides the same experience and ease of travel in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, punctuality, reliability, and environmental friendliness as the conventional metro system.
It is a low-cost mobility solution for tier-II cities and smaller cities with peak-hour, peak-direction traffic of up to 15,000. Metro lite costs 40% of a conventional metro system. It is being planned in cities such as Jammu, Srinagar, and Gorakhpur.
Metro neo, which has rubber-tyred electric coaches powered by an overhead traction system running on a road slab, is being planned for Nashik, Maharashtra. It resembles an electric bus trolley that can cater to ridership of up to 8,000 peak-hour, peak-direction traffic. It does not require a standard-gauge track.
For the first time, an RRTS connecting two cities in the NCR (Delhi and Meerut) is being introduced. It is envisaged as a transformational intervention set to revolutionise regional development. PM Modi will inaugurate the Kochi Water Metro via video conference from Thiruvananthapuram, in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The High Court-Vypeen and Vytilla-Kakkanad services will be launched in the first phase. The HC-Vypeen service will be the first to be kicked off, on April 26. The `747-crore project includes a total of 36 terminals with 15 identified routes connecting 10 islands along a network that spans 78km.
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
A significant enhancement to Kochi’s infrastructure! The Kochi Water Metro would be dedicated to the nation. It will ensure seamless connectivity for Kochi