From beautiful backwaters to the variety of spices, Kerala is best known as God’s own country. One of the important cities in this lovely sate of the Indian subcontinent is Kochi which is also known as Cochin and is a part of the district of Ernakulam. Kochi has been famous as “Queen of the Arabian Sea” because it has been an important spice trading centre since the 14th century. Apart from this, Kochi holds the record for the maximum number of domestic and international tourist arrivals in Kerala. According to a survey by Nielsen, Kochi has been ranked as the sixth-best tourist destination to be visited in India. Apart from tourism playing an important role, Kochi is densely populated and is known as the financial, industrial and commercial capital of Kerala.

When the potential in the city is huge, the infrastructural; developments are bound to happen to cater to the growing needs of the people and attract more revenue from tourism and Kochi metro is the living example of the fantastic job done by the state authorities for bringing convenience and ease for its residents.

What is the Kochi Metro?

To ease congestion and enhance connectivity within the city and suburbs the idea of metro in Kochi was conceived and the same got shape in the name of Kochi Metro.

Kochi Metro is the metro rapid transit system which holds the record of being the longest metro corridor in the country to have been completed within a span of four years. The total length of the metro line is 25.612 km and its 25 stations are planned which start from Aluva to and go up to Tripunithura Railway Station. Out of these 21 are operational and the remaining are under construction.

It is the first metro in the country which connects road, rail and water transport facilities. The foundation stone for the metro project was laid down by then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2012. The construction work began in 2013 and by June 2017, 13.4 km section from Aluva to Plarivattom was opened for use by the public. On October 3, 2017, another 5 km was inaugurated from Palarivattom to Maharaja’s College Metro Station and the stretch from Maharaja’s College to Thaikoodam was operational from September 3, 2019.

Kochi Metro holds quite a few titles to its name for being the pioneer in the following areas:

• It appointed Kudumbashree workers and people from the transgender community.
• The entire management operations are taken care of by women.
• Ease is the synonym with Kochi metro and it has come as a result of the single card, single timetable and single command and control which has been adopted in its efficient operation.
• Kochi One Mobile App has given access to passengers to use public transport facilities and use the same for merchandize.
• You will find a different theme at every metro station which depicts Kerala culture.
• Communication-Based Train Control System is used in Kochi Metro for signalling and telecommunication.
• Apart from this, the Kochi metro project is one of its kinds with focus on sustainable development. Installation of solar panels, non-motorized transport corridors and vertical gardens on every sixth pillar of the metro are some of the initiatives which lend uniqueness to this fabulous project which has made life easy and comfortable for the people of Kochi.
• During the construction phase of the metro in the city, the government had started boat service from Vyttila to Kakkanad to divert the traffic. This service was also unique and thus highlights the efforts of the government.

Kochi Metro Stations

The 21 operational stations covered by the Metro are:

• Aluva
• Pulinchodu
• Companypady
• Ambattukavu
• Mutton
• Kalamassery
• Cochin University
• Pathadipalam
• Edapally
• Changampuzha park
• Palarivattom
• J.L.N. Stadium
• Kaloor
• Town Hall
• M.G. Road
• Maharaja’s College
• Ernakulam South
• Kadavanthra
• Elamkulam
• Vyttila
• Thaikoodam

The stations under construction are

• Pettah
• Vadakkekotta
• S.N. Junction
• Triupnithura Terminal

Fare in Kochi Metro

Kochi one prepaid EVM chip smart card is used at the metro stations and the minimum fare is Rs 10 and the maximum is Rs 60. Split in 6 fare zones namely F1, F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6 this corresponds to the distance which is a multiple of 5.

Kochi Metro Map

Frequency of Kochi Metro

Train services start at 6 in the morning and go up to 10 at night from Monday to Saturday. On Sunday, the timings are from 8 in the morning to 10 at night.

Kochi Metro Journey Time

• Aluva to Pettah takes 46 minutes
• Aluva to Palarivattom takes 24 minutes
• Aluva to Ernakulam Junction takes 34.40 minutes
• Pettah to Ernakulam takes 12 minutes

Kochi Water Metro

Expected to get completed by November 2020, this service is going to complement the services of Kochi Metro. It is an integrated water transport project which has been propped by Kochi Metro Rail Limited. It is proposed that modernized air-conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled boats which have the carrying capacity of 50 and 100 will be made available for the use by the public. The headway shall vary between 10 and 20 minutes along various routes.

• Automatic Fare Collection system will extend to boat service as well which means people can use the same ticket for metro and boat.
• Kochi Water Metro aims at giving an edge to the concept of progress and development in the city and shall help in bringing ease to the lives of people living in the backwaters and islands of Kochi.
• Tourism is sure to get a boost because of this smart initiative.
• The total cost for the project is figured around Rs 820 crores and KfW Development Bank has agreed to provide EURO 85 million as long term soft loan and the state government has contributed Rs 102 crores.
• The project is supposed to get completed in two phases. In phase 1, 17 routes are proposed to get connectivity through 43 boats and phase 2 shall connect 16 routes and the requirements of boats for the same are 78.

Once this becomes functional, the whole system of in-land transportation is sure to be the face of change for the rest of the cities in the country.

FAQ about  Kochi Metro

Some of the questions related to Kochi metro which might keep your mind ticking have been answered below:

How to make a career in Kochi Metro?

You need to login to www.kochimetro.org to find about the latest job openings, requirements and application related to jobs in Kochi Metro.

What will be the connectivity in Phase 3 of Kochi Metro?

The third phase shall connect Aluva to Cochin International Airport.

What is the procedure for Kochi Metro Tenders?

The list of live tenders can be accessed on the official website of Kochi metro.

How to recharge Kochi Metro Card?

Getting the metro card recharged up to Rs 10,000 in cash or through debit or credit card can be done through either Kochi Metro Ticket Issuance Counters or you can hand over the cash to ticket issuance operator.

What is Kochi Metro helpline number?

18004250355 can be called for any help or assistance at the metro stations.

When did Kochi Metro start?

17th June 2017 was the landmark day when the metro services were open for the residents of Kochi.

How to find Metro Kochi vacancies?

Stay in touch with the latest vacancies and posts in Kochi Metro by visiting the official website of Kochi Metro.

They say to understand the culture of a particular city, you need to travel in the local transport, interact with the locals and enjoy the local cuisines. Each city of Kerala has its distinctiveness which is commendable. Kochi is one of the important cities of the state and has developed at a rapid pace. The growth of infrastructure deserves applause. Kochi Metro is another feather to the cap of the achievements of the city which has transformed the transport system that runs in the city and has brought everything under one roof. Be it the road, water or rail, everything is connected through a common link and this saves lots of time and energy of the people.

Take a walk through the beautiful corridors, amazing skywalks and spick and span metro and be a part of the revolutionized transport system in the city of Kochi.