It has been a big day for the infrastructure sector with the Central government approving metro rail projects in Pune, Thane and Bengaluru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the meeting of the cabinet where these projects were approved. The Cabinet approved two corridors of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-3.
This project would be completed at a cost of Rs 15,611 crore. The two elevated corridors approved by the government will span a length of 44.65 kilometres and have 31 stations in total.
“Corridor-1 from JP Nagar 4thPhase to Kempapura (along Outer Ring Road West) for a length of 32.15 km with 22 stations and Corridor-2 from Hosahalli to Kadabagere (along Magadi Road) for a length of 12.50 km with 9 stations. On operationalisation of Phase-3, Bengaluru city will have 220.20 km of active metro rail Network,” a statement said.
The Bangalore Metro’s Phase 3 project is a major expansion of the metro rail network in the city and will connect the western part of Bengaluru. The key areas which will be brought under connectivity include Peenya Industrial Area, IT industries on Bannerghatta road and Outer Ring Road.
Mumbai’s Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project
The Cabinet has also approved the Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project Corridor. The 29-kilometer corridor will skirt the western edge of Thane city, featuring 22 stations along its route.
Aiming to ease traffic congestion, providing sustainable mode of transport, the project is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,200.10 crore, with equal equity from Government of India and Government of Maharashtra as well as part-funding from bilateral agencies,” the statement said.
Funds for the project will also be raised through methods such as “selling station naming and access rights for corporate, monetisation of assets, and value capture financing route”.
Pune Metro expansion
For Pune, the Centre approved the underground extension of the PCMC-Swargate Metro Line from Swargate-to-Katraj. This new extension, referred to as the Line-1 B extension, will cover 5.46 kilometers. It will feature three underground stations and link important areas, including Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar, and the Katraj suburbs of Pune. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,954.53 crore.
(With PTI inputs)