Winning Bizness Desk
Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched India's first water metro in Kochi, Kerala. The cost of this project is Rs 1,137 crore. The water metro will connect 10 islands in and around Kochi. Cochin Shipyard Limited has manufactured these boats. Right now the first phase of this project has been started with 8 boats. After the completion of the entire project, 78 fast electrically propelled hybrid boats will be launched. This will help in reducing the pollution and it will be easier for the families living on the banks of Kochi Lake to reach the main market. The water metro will benefit more than one lakh people living on the island. PM Modi said, "Kochi Water Metro project is also 'Made in India'... It is unique. I also congratulate Kochi Shipyard for this. The Water Metro will provide cheap and modern transport to the people living on the many islands around Kochi. This experiment being done in Kerala will also become a model for other states of the country."
four rescue boats in case of emergency
A total of 78 eco-friendly boats will run for passenger service. Of these, 23 boats can carry 100 passengers, the remaining 55 boats can carry 50 passengers. In addition to these boats, there are four rescue boats to support the main fleet in case of emergency and maintenance. The Metro is powered by a Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) battery. The battery capacity is 122 kWh. This battery is of new technology. It can be charged in 10 to 15 minutes. Super-chargers have been installed in floating jetties at select locations. The boat also has a generator back-up. These boats are fully air-conditioned. Passengers can see the scenery outside through their large windows. The interiors have also been designed to provide the best of service to the metro travellers. The boat is designed in such a way that even at high speed, less waves are generated. The CCTV system is capable of monitoring boat movements from remote locations for better safety. It is a catman ferry designed boat and is 24.8 meters in length. The interior of the boat has been provided with large windows so that the passengers can enjoy the exotic views outside during the journey. The Water Metro is powered by a Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) battery. The battery capacity is 122 kWh. It can be charged in 15 minutes.
Terminals have facility of automated fare collection
There are three types of boat terminals according to size and capacity. Major, Intermediate and Minor Terminals. Terminals are planned on the basis of Peak Hour Traffic (PHT). A terminal with 1000PHT is considered Major and a terminal with 300-1000PHT is considered Intermediate. Terminals less than 300 PHT come under minor. All boat terminals are divided into paid and non-paid areas. Ticket facility, ticket vending machine, station control are in unpaid area. The paid area has arrangements for waiting areas, toilets etc. All terminals have the facility of automated fare collection and turnstile system for passenger counting. According to the size and capacity, three types of boat terminals have been made. There is an arrangement for ticket facility, ticket vending machine, waiting area, toilet etc. It is being called the dream project of Kerala. The Kerala government and German firm KfW have invested in the project. The ownership of Water Metro is with Kochi Metro Rail Limited ie KMRL.
