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Nagai–Kankesanthurai ferry completes one year, carries over 20,000 passengers
Nagapattinam: The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai (KKS) in Sri Lanka marked its first anniversary on Friday, having carried 20,641 travellers in 160 round trips over the past year.
The service is operated by Subham Ferry, a subsidiary of Subham Group, using the vessel Sivagangai. Chairperson Sundarraj Ponnusamy said passenger numbers have grown steadily, boosting tourism, trade, and cultural ties between the two countries.
In its first year, 10,825 passengers sailed from Nagapattinam to KKS and 9,816 from KKS to Nagapattinam. The highest single-day bookings were on Aug 13, when 152 people travelled from India, and on Oct 29, 2024, when 141 passengers came from Sri Lanka.
On Saturday, Subham Ferry and the crew marked the start of the second year by distributing sweets and souvenirs to passengers at Nagapattinam Port. The company has announced a special package for students, offering a three-day tour in India or Sri Lanka along with a round-trip ticket for ₹9,999.
The Nagapattinam–KKS link was relaunched in Oct 2023 after a 40-year gap, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off the service virtually. Initially run briefly by the Shipping Corporation of India, it was taken over by Subham Group in Aug 2024. The Sivagangai resumed operations in February this year after a short suspension.
With passenger demand rising, the ferry now operates six days a week, up from three. "We aim to increase trips to over 200 next year and expect passenger numbers to cross 30,000," Ponnusamy said.
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