Kochi Water Metro launch date remains up in the air

KOCHI: The  much-awaited launch of the Kochi Water Metro remains a mystery despite the completion of the terminals at High Court Jn and Vypeen, between which the first service will be run. Despite Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) delivering the first batch of five boats and an emergency response boat, Garuda, officials remain tight-lipped on the start.

According to sources, the delay is due to the non-confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “There is no confirmation on the launch. We received an intimation from PM Narendra Modi’s office expressing his interest in inaugurating the Kochi Water Metro. But there has been no update on the dates,” a source said.

The launch of the service, the first-of-its-kind in the country, has been pushed back multiple times since December 2020.A Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) spokesperson said that a few more tests need to be completed before the opening, including load and pontoon-charging-time tests. “Efforts are on to launch the service this month itself. So far, there is no confirmation of the launch date. It can be either a soft launch or a big event. Nothing has been finalised,” the official said.

“Moreover, five boats will not be enough to maintain frequency, so we are also waiting on CSL to deliver three more boats by this month before we begin the service,” the official added.

Besides the High Court, Bolgatty, and Vypeen jetties, the Vyttila and Kakkanad terminals have also been completed. Once the CSL delivers the second batch of boats, the Vyttila-Kakkanad route will be part of the second phase of operations.

The terminals at Cheranalloor, Eloor, and Chittoor are nearing completion, while work on the ones in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry have just begun. A total of 36 terminals are envisaged for the project, with 15 identified routes, connecting 10 islands along a network that spans 78km.