Kolkata: Howrah and Murshidabad are set to be connected by an inland waterway service along the Hooghly River, with the state government floating tenders for 20 passenger vessels under a World Bank-assisted project.
The Transport Department, through the West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (WBTIDCL), initiated the procurement process in early February under the West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project. The vessels are being acquired using a portion of World Bank financing for the project. The proposed fleet will include five 300-passenger steel catamarans, five 300-passenger steel monohull vessels, eight 100-passenger steel catamarans, and two 100-passenger aluminium catamarans.
The estimated cost for the five 300-passenger steel catamarans is Rs 19.2 crore, or about Rs 3.84 crore per vessel. The five monohull vessels are estimated at Rs 17.24 crore in total, translating to approximately Rs 3.45 crore per unit. The eight 100-passenger steel catamarans are estimated at Rs 20.8 crore overall, or about Rs 2.6 crore per vessel.
Officials said the new vessels will be faster than existing launches operating on the Hooghly River and are expected to reduce fuel consumption.
The service is expected to reduce travel time between Kolkata and destinations such as Haldia, the Sundarbans and Gangasagar. There are also plans to extend connectivity to Murshidabad, Nabadwip and Mayapur. According to officials, travel time on catamarans could be reduced by nearly half compared with conventional launches. The vessels will be equipped with twin engines for redundancy, allowing operations to continue even if one engine fails midstream.
They will also feature satellite navigation systems and passenger amenities such as seating, air-conditioning and bio-toilets.
Officials added that catamarans, with their twin-hull design, improve stability compared with single-hull vessels and can operate in relatively shallow waters, making them suitable for river conditions.
The project builds on the existing fleet of 22 passenger vessels on the Hooghly, along with 13 hybrid electric ferries that are under development. Jetty infrastructure is also being developed to support regular services and tourism.