Kochi Water Metro needs dedicated boatyard to support planned 78-vessel fleet

Kochi Water Metro Ltd is facing operational and expansion challenges because it does not have a dedicated boatyard for maintaining and repairing its fleet, even as the agency prepares to add vessels and extend services to more locations.

The operator currently runs 20 electric-hybrid vessels across five routes, including services between High Court and Fort Kochi and between Vyttila and Kakkanad.

It expects to receive three additional vessels from Cochin Shipyard Ltd. One is expected in about a month, while the remaining two are expected by next year.

The company has also initiated steps to procure 15 additional boats, each with a capacity of 100 passengers. Deliveries are expected in 2027.

The absence of an in-house maintenance facility means that technical faults must be handled through external agencies and accredited repair yards. This can affect maintenance scheduling, costs and the availability of boats for passenger services, reported The Times of India.

The operator has considered several sites for a dedicated maintenance yard, including Thevara, Kinfra and Ramanthuruth near Vallarpadam.

A proposed site behind the KSRTC JNNURM bus station at Thevara ran into difficulties after land-price negotiations with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation failed to reach an agreement.

A government plot near Vallarpadam was also considered, but competing requirements meant the land was sought for Cochin Shipyard instead. A proposed facility at Kinfra was shelved because navigation barriers along the Kadambrayar river prevented boats from reaching the site.

The Kozhichira bund, which remains closed for six months each year, also obstructs vessel movement.

The same restriction has affected the proposed 2.5-km Water Metro extension from Kakkanad terminal to Infopark, which is intended to provide a direct water-based commuting option for information-technology workers.

A second obstacle is Brahmapuram bridge, where the vertical clearance would need to increase from 2.25 metres to 5.5 metres to allow Water Metro vessels to pass safely.

Kochi Water Metro’s longer-term plan envisages a fleet of 78 boats serving 33 terminals. Daily ridership has already crossed 7,000 passengers, according to the operator.

The expansion will depend not only on the arrival of new vessels but also on resolving the maintenance-yard issue and the physical barriers preventing year-round navigation on proposed routes.