Kolkata municipal authorities and the West Bengal state government have launched a Water Metro system featuring electric-hybrid passenger ferries [1].
This initiative aims to reduce urban congestion by integrating riverine waterways into the city's existing transit network. By combining water-based travel with rail and road, the city seeks to create a more sustainable and commercially viable multimodal mobility system [1], [2].
The project represents a significant shift toward eco-friendly infrastructure in West Bengal. The new system will complement the current metro rail and traditional ferry services, utilizing hybrid technology to lower the carbon footprint of daily commutes [1].
Kolkata is the 18th city in India to adopt a water-based urban transport system [2]. The move is part of a broader strategy to modernize the city's infrastructure and improve the efficiency of public transit across its riverine corridors [1], [2].
In a related effort to boost urban mobility, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said there would be 60 new Kolkata Metro trains [2]. This expansion of the rail network coincides with the rollout of the Water Metro to ensure that passengers have seamless transitions between different modes of transport [2].
The West Bengal government, including the chief minister and the railway minister, has prioritized these upgrades to handle the city's growing population and traffic demands [1], [2]. The integration of these systems is designed to provide a comprehensive transit web that leverages the city's natural geography to bypass road bottlenecks [1].
“Kolkata is the 18th city in India to adopt a water-based urban transport system.”
The integration of a Water Metro into Kolkata's existing infrastructure signals a shift toward diversified, multimodal transit. By utilizing the Hooghly River as a primary transit artery, the city can alleviate pressure on its saturated road networks while transitioning to greener energy sources. This strategy aligns with a broader Indian urban trend of leveraging waterways to solve the 'last-mile' connectivity problem in densely populated river cities.
