Over 1.61 Lakh Passengers on New Year; Kochi Metro Achieves Record Milestone

Kochi: Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) recorded a major milestone on New Year’s Eve and in the early hours of New Year’s Day, with a total of 1,61,683 passengers using its integrated transport services. The figure includes travel on the Kochi Metro train, electric feeder buses and the Kochi Water Metro.

Metro train services, which operated until 2 am on New Year’s night, accounted for the bulk of the ridership, with 1,39,766 passengers. Electric feeder buses, which ran until 4 am, were used by 6,817 people, while the Water Metro recorded 15,000 passengers during the extended service hours. The strong turnout also helped KMRL set a new benchmark in daily revenue, with earnings touching 44,67,688 on December 31.

KMRL Managing Director Loknath Behera said the achievement reflected the collective effort of multiple stakeholders. He attributed the success to punctual and reliable services, high standards of cleanliness, the professional and courteous conduct of staff, and the cooperation of passengers. Effective outreach through the media and social media platforms, along with the use of customer-friendly technology, also played a key role, he said.

Behera noted that strengthening first-mile and last-mile connectivity was another major factor. As part of this effort, 15 electric feeder buses were deployed on various routes to connect metro stations with Water Metro terminals, helping attract more commuters. He added that Kochi is steadily moving towards a sustainable, green urban transport system.

Kochi Metro Sets New Ridership Record

Since the metro service was launched in 2017, a total of 17.52 crore passengers have travelled on the Kochi Metro. The annual ridership rose to 3,65,86,194 in 2025, while 32,68,063 passengers used the metro services in December alone.

Electric Feeder Buses Gain Traction

Electric feeder buses were operated on New Year’s night for the first time in Kochi. The services helped ferry passengers arriving at Vypeen via the Fort Kochi–Jangar route to various destinations, including metro stations and the Ernakulam South Railway Station, improving connectivity during the celebrations.

Water Metro Adds to Festive Buzz

The Kochi Water Metro also recorded a notable milestone by operating additional services on the Mattancherry–High Court and Vypeen–High Court routes, in addition to regular services, until 5.10 am. Nearly 15,000 passengers used the Water Metro during the New Year celebrations, adding to the festive buzz across the city.