Metro service on water, the country's first water metro will be launched on Tuesday

• April 24, 2023

On Tuesday (April 23), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the country's first 'Water Metro' to the nation. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted on Sunday, "This project of Kerala's dream will connect Kochi and its 10 surrounding islands." This unique urban mass transport system is in no way inferior to the conventional metro system in terms of experience and the comfort of travel.

This system is expected to play a very important role, especially in port cities like Kochi. Pinarayi Vijayan said air-conditioned boats will eliminate the suffering of road traffic congestion. Not only this, this mode of transport is very affordable and safe too. In the first phase, the service will be started from High Court-Vipin Terminal to Vittila-Kakkanad Terminal. The Kerala Chief Minister also said that passengers can board both the Kochi Metro and Water Metro services using the 'Kochi 1' card. Besides, water metro tickets can be booked on digital platforms.

The Kochi Water Metro will connect Kochi and its 10 surrounding islands through battery-powered electric hybrid boats. 78 electric boats will operate in this service, there will be a total of 38 terminals. The total cost for the construction of this project is Tk 1,136.83 crore. The cost was jointly borne by the Kerala government and the German funding agency KFW. This water metro service is not only eco-friendly but also has special facilities for the disabled.

Apart from this water metro, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express from Thiruvananthapuram Central Station on Tuesday. The Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargarh Bande Bharat Express train will pass through 11 districts – Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasargarh. Prime Minister Modi will also start the operation of electric trains on the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section. Besides, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to lay the foundation stones of various railway projects, including the reconstruction of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations. He will also lay the foundation stone of Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.

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