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To handle the heavy rush during New Year celebrations and ensure safe travel for people returning home late at night, both Kochi Metro Rail Limited and Kochi Water Metro Limited have decided to extend their service hours on December 31, officials stated.
Kochi Metro Trains to Run on New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve, Kochi Metro trains will run until 1 am on the Aluva-Tripunithura route. Services will be available in both directions to help passengers travel smoothly after celebrations. While the longer operating hours have been confirmed, officials said they are still discussing how often the trains should run during the extended period.
Kochi Water Metro's Operation
Kochi Water Metro services will also run for longer hours, operating until 4 am on December 31. However, the exact routes and number of services during the extended hours have not been finalised yet. Officials said these details will be announced closer to the date.
Why Will the Metro Services Run Longer During the Festival?
The decision to extend services was taken because of the high number of passengers seen every year during the Christmas and New Year season. In December last year, Kochi Metro recorded more than 32 lakh passengers in the entire month and earned over ₹10 crore in revenue. On New Year's Eve alone in 2023, around 1.3 lakh people used the metro services.
Kochi Metro's Ridership
In comparison, the metro carried about 29.59 lakh passengers in December the previous year and earned ₹9.25 crore. This shows a steady increase in the number of people choosing metro travel during the festive period.
Water Metro services have also seen a rise in passengers, especially on popular routes such as the High Court-Fort Kochi stretch. The increase is linked to the holiday season and large cultural events like the Kochi Biennale, which attract many visitors to the city.
Recent figures highlight that around 10,000 passengers use the Kochi Water Metro every day on average, highlighting its growing popularity among commuters and tourists alike.
