Patna To Get Metro Rail, Plan For Phase I Worth Rs 16,000 Crore Approved

Patna inched a bit closer to realising its dream of having a high-speed, low-cost public transport system with the Bihar cabinet on Tuesday giving its go-ahead to the Patna Metro Rail project.

TOI

The nod to the first phase of the project, costing Rs 16,960 crore, comes days after the CM Nitish Kumar's reported statement in UP that he was against such a project until it was technologically ensured that the city's historical value would not be destroyed. Kumar, however, has since clarified he was not opposed to the Metro project.

Sources said a DPR (detailed project report) of the Patna Metro Rail, prepared by the RITES Limited, would now be sent to the Centre for its sanction. "Once the required approvals are granted, it would be tabled before financing agencies such as the World Bank to procure funds for the project," state urban development and housing department (UDHD) principal secretary Amrit Lal Meena said.

Post the state cabinet's nod, decks have now been cleared for the formation of an SPV (special purpose vehicle) -- Patna Metro Rail Corporation or Authority -- comprising representatives of the Centre, the state government and a third-party which could be the financing or executing agency. It will work towards implementation of the project.

Reuters

The Phase-I of the project will see construction of two corridors - a 14.5-km east-west corridor from Danapur Cantt to Aetbarpur (Bypass) via Saguna More, Bailey Road, Patna Junction and Mithapur, and another 16.5-km north-south corridor from Patna Junction to ISBT (Gaya line) via Dak Bungalow crossing, Fraser Road, Gandhi Maidan, PMCH and Rajendra Nagar. The stretch between the PMCH and Dinkar roundabout (Premchand Rangshala) will be under the ground.

Officials said the 31-km Metro line in Phase-I would have at least 25 stations with each one of them situated at a distance of one to one-and-a-half km. Every Metro train is expected to have at least three coaches with a capacity to accommodate at least 800 passengers. The fare is estimated to range between Rs 12 and Rs 28.

It was in 2011 that the state government entrusted the preparation of a Master Plan draft for Patna Metro Rail project to cater to the commutation needs of the increasing population in the state capital. The estimated cost of the project then was approximately Rs 5,000 crore.

If all goes well, officials expected the Phase-I construction work to commence by 2017 and be completed by 2021. With Phase-I on track, the UDHD is now set to ask the RITES Limited to prepare a pre-feasibility report for the Digha-Gandhi Maidan Metro line via Digha Ghat and Kurji, Meena said.

HIGHLIGHTS

31-km Metro line from Danapur Cantt to Aetbarpur and Patna Jn to ISBT in Phase-I

Each Metro train to have three coaches with a capacity to carry 800 passengers

The fare is estimated to range between Rs 12 and Rs 28

Construction work likely to begin in 2017, end in 2021