| KWM | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Government of Kerala (74%) KMRL (26%) |
| Locale | Kochi,Kerala,India |
| Transit type | Ferry |
| Number of lines | 16 (Planned) 6 (Operational) |
| Line number | |
| Number of stations | 38 (Total) 10 (Completed) 10 (Operational) |
| Daily ridership | 34,000 (After phase 1 completion) 150,000 (When fully operational) |
| Chief executive | Lokanath Behera |
| Headquarters | J. L. N. Stadium metro station 4th Floor,Kaloor, Kochi, Kerala |
| Website | KWM |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 26 April 2023; 2 years ago (2023-04-26)[1] |
| Operator(s) | KMRL |
| Number of vehicles | 23 |
| Headway | 10 - 20 minutes |
| Technical | |
| System length | 76 km (47 mi) |
| Average speed | 8 knots (15 km/h) |
| Top speed | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
Kochi Water Metro (KWM) is aferry transport system serving theGreater Kochi region inKerala,India. It is the first water metro system in India and the first integrated water transport system of this size in Asia. When fully operational, it will connectKochi’s 10 island communities with themainland through a fleet of 78 battery-operatedelectric hybrid boats operating along 38 terminals and 16 routes spanning 76 kilometres (47 mi).[2] It is integrated with theKochi Metro and serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accessibility is limited.[3]
Construction started in 2016, and the first route betweenVyttila andInfoPark was inaugurated in February 2021 byChief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan.[4] It was officially inaugurated and opened to passengers byPrime MinisterNarendra Modi on 25 April 2023.[5] It is also described as the largest electric-boat metro transportation infrastructure being implemented in the world.[6] As of September 22, 2025, the Kochi Water Metro has served over 5 million passengers.[7]
In 2020, the Kochi Water Metro ordered 23electric ferries, as part of the first stage of a project to introduce 78zero-emission vessels.[8] The ferries were ordered to be built byCochin Shipyard, with propulsion systems designed bySiemens and Echandia.[8] Cochin Shipyard delivered the first of 23 electric ferries in January 2022.[9]
The phase 1 consists of 3 lines out of which theVyttila-InfoPark was inaugurated on 15 February 2021.[10] TheVypin-High Court line began service on 26 April 2023 and the Vyttila-Kakkanad line began service on 27 April 2023. Phase 1 is expected to be fully operational in 2024 and on becoming so, it is expected to serve 34,000 passengers a day. The entire water metro system is expected to become fully operational by 2035 with a daily ridership of 1.5 lakh passengers. The annual carbon emissions is also expected to reduce by 44,000 tonnes once the project is fully operational.
In January 2025, the Kochi Water Metro added an emergency response boat to its fleet, meant to respond to potential accidents, fires, and natural disasters.[11]
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Kochi is mostly surrounded by backwaters and bordered by theArabian Sea. It is interconnected by hundreds of waterways, which offers a way to make the public transport system much more accessible and environment friendly. Water Metro is expected to solve the travel issues of the islanders ofWillington,Kumbalam,Vypeen,Edakochi,Nettoor,Vyttila,Eroor,Kakkanad, andMulavukad.[12]
| Station name | Image | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eloor | |
| 2 | Cheranallur | |
| 3 | South Chittoor | |
| 4 | High Court |  |
| 5 | Vypin |  |
| 6 | Fort Kochi | |
| 7 | Vyttila |  |
| 8 | Kakkanad |  |
| 9 | Willingdon Island | |
| 10 | Mattancherry |
The total cost of the Water Metro project is₹1,137 crore (US$130 million). TheKfW Development Bank will be providing EUR 85 million as long-term soft loan and the Government of Kerala and KMRL will be contributing₹102 crore (US$12 million).[15][16]
The minimum ticket price of the metro system is 20 rupees and the maximum ticket charge is 40 rupees. Weekly passes are available at 180 rupees whereas a monthly pass costs 600 rupees and a quarterly 1500. Single journey tickets and various travel passes are available from the ticket counters in the terminals. Water Metro can be accessed using the Kochi Metro One card. It is also possible to travel using the mobile QR code booked through the Kochi One app.[17] The Automatic Fare Collection system being implemented by the Kochi Metro will be extended to water transport system which facilitates travelling the metro train and the boat using the same ticket.[citation needed]
During off-peak hours Water Metro Ferries are available for rent on an hourly basis for tourism.[18]
In the first phase, the service will be provided from 7 am to 8 pm. The service frequency is 15 minutes during peak hours.[19] The headways vary between 10 minutes to 20 minutes across various routes.[citation needed]
Kochi Water Metro Limited has been formed as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with 74% of the shareholding being owned by theKerala government and 26% byKochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). It is operated and maintained by the KMRL.[20]
Two variants of modernised air-conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled catamaran passenger boats were proposed for the project. The electric propulsion boats have passenger capacities of 50 and 100, and were designed operate at an optimal speed of about 15 kilometres per hour (8.1 kn), with the potential to increase up to 19 kilometres per hour (10 kn). Of these only the 100 passenger boats have been ordered for manufacturing and for the 50 passenger capacity boats the builder is yet to be finalised.[when?] The boats are equipped with standard safety and communication devices. Small battery operated boats ply on the narrow lanes.[21] The jetties are proposed to have floating pontoons with automatic docking system technology. The floatingpontoons are covered with retractable sheds to provide comfort during rainy season.[22]
Kochi Water Metro has two types of boats that can carry 100 passengers and 50 passengers at a time. These boats have won theGussis Electric Boat Award, an international award for electric boats. The boats and terminals are designed as fully disabled-friendly. Kochi Water Metro has the innovation of a boat that can be operated in battery and hybrid mode.[23] These boats are built in a hybrid system.[citation needed][clarification needed] Boats can be powered by a diesel generator in case of emergency.[citation needed]
Some of the Kochi Water Metro's electric boats are built byCochin Shipyard, with propulsion systems designed bySiemens and Echandia.[8]
In January 2025, the Kochi Water Metro added an emergency response boat to its fleet, meant to respond to potential accidents, fires, and natural disasters.[11]
Kochi Water Metro is also first of a kind in the world to have such an extensive network of battery-powered boats. The boats useslithium titanate oxide battery that can be charged very quickly and meets high safety standards. It can be charged in 10–15 minutes and there is a facility to charge the batteries even when the passengers are boarding and disembarking. The speed of the boat is 8 knots in battery mode and 10 knots in hybrid mode.[24]
A thermal camera is also equipped to assist the boat operator during night travel. The boats are also equipped withradars. The passenger counting system is used to enter Kochi Water Metro boats to prevent the number of passengers from getting increased more than the designated level. Floating pontoons which can stay at the same level with the boats during high tide and low tide are the specialty of Kochi Water Metro. The rescue boats of the metro system are able to start rescue operations within 10 minutes in case of any kind of accident.[25]
The main hub for the Kochi Water Metro is the Operation Control Centre.[26] As of April 2025, the OCC is located in theVyttila Mobility Hub, although there are plans to move it to the High Court terminal.[26] Kochi Water Metro Officials have stated that "a majority of services are being operated from" the High Court terminal, and that "a majority of passengers are also from" the area, while just one of the system's routes operate near the Vyttila Mobility Hub.[26] Doing so would also free up space in the Vyttila Mobility Hub, enabling the Kochi Water Metro to rent out up about 29,000 square feet (2,700 m2) of space for commercial occupancy.[26]
The Kochi Water Metro is featured in UN Habitat-World Cities Report Climate Action case studies in its November 2024 edition under the heading "Enhancing Urban Mobility through Low-Carbon Water Transport"[1]. Similar reports were also featured in Development Asia, the Asian Development Bank's knowledge collaboration platform and the NDC Partnership, a coalition of more than 130 countries for Climate Action and Sustainable development.[27][28]
Kochi Water Metro secured won awards for excellence in ferry services with the help of advanced technology connecting inland waterways and building excellent terminals providing the best facilities at the Global Maritime India Summit held inMumbai from 17 to 19 October 2023.[29]
The electric boats of Kochi Water Metro which were built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) have won the prestigious Gussies Electric Boat Award for the year 2022.[30]
The success of Kochi Water Metro has triggered a feasibility study by the India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to replicate similar projects in other navigable inland waterways in the country. Initially a list of 17 Cities were finalized and later later four more cities were added. This includesPrayagraj,Varanasi,Ayodhya,Patna,Ahmedabad,Surat,Jammu & Kashmir,Goa,Kolkata,Dhubri,Mangaluru,Kollam,Alappuzha,Mumbai,Vasai,Tezpur,Dibrugarh,Cuttack andChilika.[31]
Karnataka'sChief MinisterSiddaramaiah has approved theMangaluru Water Metro project on April 23, 2025, making Karnataka the second state in India to adopt such an extensive water-based transit system.[32]
On 13 September 2025, KMRL won a tender to conduct afeasibility study and prepare aDetailed Project Report for replication of Water Metro Services toMumbai.The project will cover nearly 250 km of waterways connecting localities such asVaitarna,Vasai,Manori,Thane andPanvel with 29 terminals along 10 proposed routes.[33]
KMRL has developed extensive expertise in various areas, such as electric boat design and construction, inland water transportation solutions, green energy solutions tailored for the marine sector, infrastructure planning meeting Metro Rail standards, project management capabilities, and operational excellence. This enables them to offer the below list of consulting services for the implementation of similar systems in cities worldwide with navigable waterways.[34]
Public Transport in Kerala | |
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 KMRLKochi Metro Lines |
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| Proposed urban rail | |
| Major Terminals |
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| Misc Transport | |
