Last Updated: April 21, 2023, 18:45 IST
Metro Image Used for Representational Purpose
This comes over a month after the metro rail project for the Tri-city area of the union territory got principal approval
A meeting of the Chandigarh administration was called in to discuss the proposed changes suggested by Punjab and Haryana governments in the comprehensive mobility plan (CMP). This comes over a month after the metro rail project for the Tri-city area of the union territory got principal approval. In the meeting headed by Dharam Pal, the adviser to the Chandigarh administrator, Punjab’s principal secretary (housing and urban development) advised that a new Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) route from NH-64/PR-7 Junction to Rajpura be included in the MRTS phase II, reported The Indian Express.
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He also suggested including the MRTS routes from Paroul, New Chandigarh, to Sarangpur, Chandigarh, in Phase-I. The Punjab government also provided the Chandigarh administration with comments on the CMP, which were reviewed and integrated into the final CMP report.
Whereas Haryana Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (HMRTC) advised that the corridor from Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk (ISBT Panchkula) to Panchkula expansion should be included in Phase I instead of Phase II. He also suggested modifying the MRTS corridor for connectivity to Sector-20 Panchkula.
To be built at an estimated cost of Rs 10,570, the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) will also comprise bus terminals, bus depots and geometrical improvements at busy intersections, among others.
The advisor to the Chandigarh administration has directed Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) to include the above observations by Punjab and Haryana in the updated final report. The Alternatives Analysis Report (AAR) and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the MRTS in the Tricity area will be prepared by RITES.
RITES had recommended a metro project in its initial report, which was completed in 2009. However, the plan remained on the back burner for over 8 years before it was rejected by the Union Home Ministry in 2018, reported Hindustan Times. The Chandigarh administration was directed to come up with plans for alternate modes of transportation. Rejecting the proposal, the home ministry claimed that due to the city’s size, the metro was not feasible in Chandigarh. Furthermore, the project’s estimated Rs 14,000-crore budget was not financially viable.
The metro plan in Chandigarh got revived last month. Due to a lack of alternatives and increased traffic on the road, a new metro project by RITES got in-principle approval from the participating cities and stakeholders.
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