Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) marked a historic milestone on New Year’s Day, recording a staggering 1,61,683 passenger journeys across its integrated network, which includes Metro rail, electric feeder buses, and Water Metro. This represents the highest single-day ridership since the system began operations. Of the total, 1,39,766 passengers travelled on Metro trains, which ran extended services until 2am, while feeder buses operated until 4am, carrying a record 6,817 passengers. Water Metro also saw heavy patronage, with around 15,000 passengers using eco-friendly services on key routes, including Mattancherry-High Court and Vypeen-High Court. The day also saw KMRL achieve its highest-ever daily revenue of Rs 44,67,688.
KMRL managing director Loknath Behera credited the achievement to the combined efforts of all stakeholders, noting that punctual operations, cleanliness, courteous staff, passenger cooperation, extensive publicity, and user-friendly technology all contributed to the record numbers. Since its launch in 2017, Kochi Metro has carried over 17.52 crore passengers, with 3,65,86,194 rides recorded in the current year alone and December seeing 32,68,063 passengers. For the first time, feeder buses operated throughout New Year’s Eve, ensuring smooth connectivity across the city, including Vypeen and Fort Kochi, while the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) ran special services until 5.10am, generating a record daily collection of Rs 2.5 lakh. Additional services and extended hours ensured seamless travel for revelers across Kochi, setting new benchmarks for public transport usage in the city.
