E-buses to run on elevated Metro corridor in Nashik

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 31

Electric buses designed in the form of rail coaches will ply on the Metro network proposed for Nashik town.

According to the Detailed Project Report cleared by the Maharashtra Cabinet, electric bus coaches, measuring 25 m and 18 m, will ply on the elevated corridors. The AC coaches running on rubber tyres will draw power from overhead cables and have automatic door closing systems, according to details released by MahaMetro, which is implementing the project. The Metro stations built above the ground level will have staircases, lifts and escalators similar to those being built in other parts of the country, said Brijesh Dixit, MD, MahaMetro. 

He said the Nashik Metro Neo, as the project is called, is different from other Metro systems in order to keep costs under control. It is expected to cost Rs 2,100 crore with Rs 939 crore coming by way of contribution from the state and Central governments. The rest of the funding will be raised via commercial loans, Dixit said.

The Nashik Metro Neo will run on two elevated corridors covering 32 km. The first corridor from Gangapur to Mumbai Naka will be 10 km long while the second one from Gangapur to Nashik Road will span 22 km. Both corridors will intersect at the CBS station, according to the project report.

The e-buses plying on the elevated Metro corridor can be driven down a ramp and used on normal roads as well since they have chargeable batteries installed in them, according to officials. Should the number of passengers increase at a later stage, tracks can be laid on the elevated corridors and normal Metro services could begin operations in Nashik, according to the proposal submitted by MahaMetro.