India’s first Water Metro to be launched in Kerala’s Kochi on April 25

New Delhi, April 23

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on April 25 launch India’s first Water Metro in Kerala’s Kochi.

Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as that of conventional Metro system. It is expected to be very useful in cities like Kochi.

Government sources said the PM has made a conscious choice to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach in providing infrastructure and connectivity.

“A prime example of this approach is seen in the expansion of metro connectivity in the country,” an official said, elaborating on various metro systems being launched.

Another Metro system in the works is Metro Lite, a low-cost Mass Rapid Transit System with the same experience and ease of travel in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, punctuality, reliability, and environment friendliness as that of conventional metro system.

It is a low-cost mobility solution for tier-2 cities and smaller cities with Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic 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 is another plan in the offing. It has rubber tyred electric coaches powered by overhead traction system running on a road slab with exclusive right of way, with the same experience and ease of travel in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, punctuality, reliability and environment friendliness as that of conventional metro system. Metro Neo resembles an electric bus trolley and can cater to a ridership of up to 8,000 Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic. It does not require a standard gauge track. MetroNeo is being planned in Nasik, Maharashtra,” sources said.

Regional Rapid Transit System is being introduced for the first time connecting two cities in NCR (Delhi – Meerut).

“It is envisaged as a transformational intervention set to revolutionize regional development,” said government officials.