Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch India’s first water metro project during his visit to Kerala on April 25. The urban mass transit system will operate in Kochi using electric-hybrid boats, connecting ten islands spanning 75 km of the port city. The project costs a total of INR11.37bn ($154m), supported by Germany’s KFW financing organization and the state government.
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All About India’s 1st Water Metro Project
India’s 1st Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as that of the conventional metro system. It is very useful in cities like Kochi.
According to the officials, the Modi government 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.
The officials further detailed the differences between the various forms of India’s 1st Water Metro systems.
“Metro Lite is 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 the conventional metro system,” they said.
They further said that it is a low-cost mobility solution for tier-2 cities and smaller cities with Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic of up to 15,000.
India’s 1st Water Metro inside look
All the people sitting inside are enjoying the water metro. Sitting inside Water Metro and enjoying this scene is very beautiful.Traveling within Water Metro is cheap and very beneficial.
India is on the path of progress and this water metro is now to be started in many other states.
Water Metro, according to Kochi Metro managing director (MD) Loknath Behra, will offer an exclusive feel at an accessible price.
They have simplified 15 routes totalling 75 kilometres, and more electrically propelled hybrid boats are expected from the Cochin Shipyard.
In addition to single-trip tickets, commuters can purchase weekly, monthly, and quarterly passes in the water metro.
Initially, a vessel will arrive every 15 minutes.
“We employ the most sophisticated Lithium Titanite Spinel batteries in Water Metro,” said Sajan P John, general manager (operations) of the Kerala Water Metro Limited. It is the first time in the public sector that such a big number of electric hybrid boats function as a fleet under one command.
The metro will have fully air-conditioned boats with wide windows offer comfortable travel with an exotic view of the backwaters and will ensure foolproof security.
The project will cost 1,137 crores in total.
“Metro Lite costs 40 per cent of a conventional metro system. It is being planned in cities such as Jammu, Srinagar and Gorakhpur,” officials said.
“Metro Neo 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 the conventional metro system,” they added.
New metro project In planned in Maharashtra’s Nasik.
Also, Metro Neo is being planned in Maharashtra’s Nasik.
“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. Metro Neo is being planned in Nasik, Maharashtra,” they said.
Informing about the Regional Rapid Transit System, the officials said that for the first time a Regional Rapid Transit System connecting two cities in NCR (Delhi – Meerut) is being introduced.
“It is envisaged as a transformational intervention set to revolutionize regional development,” they said.
Prime Minister Modi will undertake a two-day tour panning over 5,000 km in various parts of the country in 36 hours starting April 24 and during which he will attend eight programmes and travel to seven different cities.
Starting from the national capital on April 24, the Prime Minister will first travel to central India – Madhya Pradesh. After that, he will go to Kerala in the South, which will be followed by his sojourn to the Union Territory in the West, and then return to Delhi, officials said on Saturday.
Detailing the itinerary of the Prime Minister’s long tour, the officials said, “PM will start the journey in the morning of April 24. He will travel from Delhi to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 500 kilometres. From Khajuraho, he will travel to Rewa where he will participate in the National Panchayati Raj Day programme. After this, he will come back to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 280 km in the to-and-fro journey. From Khajuraho, he will travel to Kochi, covering an aerial distance of about 1700 kilometres, to participate in the Yuvam Conclave.”
“Next morning, the PM will travel from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram, covering a distance of about 190 Km. Here, he will flag off Vande Bharat Express and also dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various projects. From here, he will travel to Silvassa via Surat, covering about 1570 kilometres. There, he will visit NAMO medical college and will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various projects,” they added.
Further, PM Modi will then travel to Daman for the inauguration of Devka seafront, post which he will go to Surat, covering about 110 kilometres.
“From Surat, he will travel back to Delhi, adding another 940 km to his travel schedule,” they said.
The power-packed schedule will see the Prime Minister travelling a staggering aerial distance of around 5,300 kilometres.