Nod to mobility plan, proposed Metro to cover 77 km in Chandigarh tricity

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

In a bid to reintroduce the Metro project after more than a decade, members of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA), in their first meeting on Tuesday, approved the comprehensive mobility plan prepared by the Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES).

The members also decided to engage RITES for the preparation of an alternative analysis report (AAR) and a detailed project report (DPR) of Phase-I of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) Network, covering a total of 77 km in the tricity.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit and attended by the Chief Secretaries of both Punjab and Haryana, besides the UT Adviser. The UMTA is a unified platform for handling overall mobility issues of the tricity. The UMTA comprises officials of the Chandigarh Administration, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to ensure coordination among various institutions and implementation of the plan to improve the traffic situation in the city. On the suggestions of the Punjab and Haryana Governments, a distance of nearly 6 km from Paroul in New Chandigarh, and 5 km from Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Extension in Sector 20, has been included in the phase I of the project. These were earlier part of the phase II. The total stretch covered under the phase I has now gone up from 66 km to 77 km.

An official said 11 km more had been included after suggestions from Punjab and Haryana. UT officials said of the 77 km route, Chandigarh would a track length of 35 km, Panchkula 11 km and Mohali/New Chandigarh 31 km.

RITES has proposed to develop Metro in two phases. In the phase I, which will be developed between 2027 and 2037, Metro has been proposed on three routes — Paroul, Sarangpur, ISBT Panchkula to Panchkula Extension (30 km); Rock Garden to ISBT Zirakpur via Industrial Area and Chandigarh Airport (34 km); and from Grain Market chowk, Sector 39 to Transport chowk, Sector 26 (13 km).

In the phase II, which will be developed after 2037, Metro has been proposed on Airport chowk to Manakpur Kallar (5 km) and ISBT Zirakpur to Pinjore (20 km). The official said Metro would mostly run overground, but the final decision would be taken by the Union Government.

About funds for the project, it was decided that 20 per cent would be paid by the state governments, 20 per cent by the Centre and the remaining 60 per cent by the lending agency. The tentative cost of the project is around Rs 10,500 crore.

The official said the DPR would cost Rs 6.54 crore and it was expected to be prepared by March 2024. It would then be sent to the Union Government for its approval.

To serve as the quickest mode of travel from one part of the city to the other, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had prepared a DPR for Chandigarh Metro in 2012.

The initial project cost, including land and taxes, was estimated at Rs 10,900 crore. A 37 km Metro track was proposed for the city, 7.8 km for Punjab and 6.41 km for Panchkula.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between Haryana, Punjab and the UT Administration, but the Home Minister’s advisory committee had turned down the DPR in 2017, saying the project was not commercially viable.

MP Kirron Kher had also opposed the project as she felt it was commercially unviable for Chandigarh.

Stretch up from 66 km to 77 km

Distance of 6 km from Paroul, New Chandigarh, and 5 km from Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Ext included in phase I on suggestions by Punjab and Haryana. Total stretch up from 66 km to 77 km

2 routes in phase II

In the phase II, Metro proposed on Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar (5 km) and ISBT Zirakpur to Pinjore (20 km)

Shared funding

Of Rs 10,500 cr, 20% to be borne by Punjab, Haryana; 20% by Centre; 60% by lending agency

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