With the recent approval of its Board to form a consultancy wing, KMRL has formed an in-house committee to lead the initial work on feasibility studies to start water metro ferry services nationwide. If needed, external experts will be brought in to strengthen the process, a press release said.
Last November, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways assigned KMRL the task of conducting a feasibility study to assess the potential for similar water metro systems in diverse regions. The success of the Kochi Water Metro has inspired a move to replicate this eco-friendly and innovative water transport model across the country, the officials said.
With its modern facilities, comparable to metro rail systems, and environmentally sustainable design, the Kochi Water Metro has set a new benchmark for urban water transport.
The feasibility study focuses on the possibility of establishing water metro services in areas with rivers, lakes, backwaters, and coastal regions. Potential locations include Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, Island connections in Andaman and Lakshadweep. Other cities under consideration are Ahmedabad (Sabarmati), Surat, Mangaluru, Ayodhya, Dhubri, Goa, Kollam, Kolkata, Patna, Prayagraj, Srinagar, Varanasi, Mumbai, Kochi and Vasai.
Based on the feasibility study’s findings, suitable locations will proceed to the preparation of detailed project reports. The project aims to harness water bodies for sustainable urban transport, revolutionising mobility in multiple cities across the nation.
The national expansion of the Kochi Water Metro model underscores Kerala’s leadership in sustainable development and modern transport innovation, the officials added.