Sreedharan submits Vijayawada Metro Rail DPR to CM

Hyderabad, April 26: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) principal advisor E. Sreedharan met Chief Minister Sri N. Chandrababu Naidu today. Union Minister Sri M. Venkaiah Naidu too was present in the meeting.

Presenting the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on Vijayawada Metro today, Mr. Sreedharan said that the total estimated cost of the project (till 2019) is Rs. 6,823 crore.

In the DPR of Vijayawada Metro, Mr. Sreedharan mentioned that it includes two Corridors: Corridor 1 (Pandit Nehru Bus Terminal ' Penamaluru) for 12.76 kms and Corridor 2 (Pandit Nehru Bus Terminal ' Nidamanuru) for 13.27 kms.

While Corridor 1 will be linked to the capital city of Amaravathi, Corridor 2 will be connected to Gannavaram airport, Mr. Sreedharan said.

The total length of this including these two corridors is 26.03 kms where the cost per each kilometer comes up to Rs. 209 crore, the DPR states.

"Whether it is going to be elevated or will only be decided during the capital development stage," Mr Sreedharan said, adding underground project per kilometer would cost Rs500-600 crore against Rs 209 crore per kilometer if it is elevated.

Giving a break-up of fares for transportation, the DPR said that the cost of the ticker per person is Rs10 between 0-5 kms, Rs 20 between 5-10kms and Rs30 if it is above 10kms.

Explaining the land requirements, the DPR mentions that 31.029 hectares of land (both government and private) will be required for the project. For the construction of Metro Rail Depot, 11. 34 hectares of land will be required, the DPR states.

"Government lands along the route may be reserved for property development to fund the project," the report says.

Mr. Sreedharan informed the Chief Minister that the first phase of the project will begin by June.

By January 1st 2019, one section of the Metro Rail project should be commissioned, the Chief Minister said.

While the DMRC team predicted that the traffic demand forecast could be 2.91 lakh trips in 2019-2020 and will rise to 9.99 lakh trip in 2051-52.

Replying to the traffic forecasts, the Chief Minister and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that the estimates are conservative and added that the traffic may be higher, considering capital institutions.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sreedharan said that the DPR Visakhapatnam Metro would be ready byJune 15. He, however, presented the status report of Vizag Metro to the Chief Minister today.

The Chief Minister was informed that a Rapid Rail Transit System for Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri (VGTM) could be planned as Metro will not be feasible on this route.

However, during the Next Cabinet meeting, a discussion on the projects will ensue. Proposals for connectivity between Vizag to Tirupati via Amaravathi and Bangalore to Amaravati high-speed train proposals will be discussed, the Chief Minister said.

Minister P Narayana, Advisor (communications) Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, AP Special Representative K. Ramamohan Rao, Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao, principal secretary to CM Satish Chandra, secretary (MA & UD) A. Giridhar and others were present.