Central Govt Approves Kanpur & Varanasi Metro Projects
Keeping an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections next year, the central government of India has approved Kanpur’s 32.39 km & Varanasi’s 29.2 km Metro projects! The Detailed Project Report for both projects were prepared last year by RITES and then submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government’s cabinet which approved them on March 14 and April 18 respectively.
As per a govt official who interviewed with the ET:
Ahead of the 2017 UP elections, the Varanasi metro could be a positive issue both for the Centre, given it is the PM’s constituency, as well as the Samajwadi Party , which could showcase its development projects by way of an operational metro in Lucknow by 2017 and work commencing in Varanasi and Kanpur. The Centre has wasted no time in approving the Varanasi project
Kanpur Metro
RITES submitted Kanpur Metro’s Detailed Project Report to the UP government on November 7 2015 recommending the 2 lines shown below with an interchange at Rawatpur Railway Station. The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation in December went ahead and invited bids from technical services firms to provide Detailed Design Consultancy services (contract yet to be awarded). The Kanpur Development Authority recently invited designs for the Kanpur Metro Rail Corporation’s logo with an award of Rs 20,000 to the winning entry.
• Line 1 – IIT Kanpur to Naubasta – 23.785 kms with 22 stations at IIT Kanpur, Kalyanpur Railway Station, Kanpur University, Gurudv Chauraha, Geeta Nagar, Rawatpur Railway Station, Moti Jheel, Harsh Nagar, Gwai, Chunni Gunj, Naveen Market, Bada Chauraha, Phool Bagh, Kanpur Central Railway Station, Jhakarkati Bus Terminal, Transport Nagar, Rania, Kendranchal, Pashupati Nagar, Baudh Nagar and Naubasta.
The 9 km IIT to Moti Jheel section has been designated as a ‘priority corridor’ and will be first developed, just like the 8.48 km priority corridor between Transport Nagar & Charbagh in Lucknow.
• Line 2 – Chandra Shekher Azad University to Jaurali – 8.6 kms with 9 stations at CSA University, Rawatpur Railway Station, Kakadeo, Vijay Nagar, Govind Nagar, Barra-7, Barra-8 and Jarauli.
Note that roughly half of the metro system is planned to be underground (shown in blue)
Map of Kanpur’s Metro project – Source: RITES/LMRCL
Varanasi Metro
RITES submitted Varanasi Metro’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the UP government on February 29 2016 recommending the 2 lines shown below with an underground interchange at Benia Bagh. The UP government’s cabinet then approved the project on April 18, the fastest any metro project has been approved in India.
• Line 1 – BHEL to BHU – 19.35 km with 17 stations at BHEL, Tarna, Shivpur, Sangam Colony, Gilat Bazar, Bhojubeer, Collectorate, Nadesar, Varanasi Junction, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Rathyatra, Benia Bagh, Kashi Vishvanath, Bangali Tola, Ratnakar Park, Tulsi Manas Mandir and Benaras Hindu University
• Line 2 – Benia Bagh to Sarnath – 9.885 km with 9 stations at Benia Bagh, Kotwali, Machoori Park, Kashi Bus Depot, Jalalipura, Punchikrshi, Abapur, Havelia and Sarnath
Note that roughly 80% of the metro system is planned to be underground (shown in maroon)
Map of Varanasi’s Metro project (view large) – Source: LMRCL’s Press Release
Both projects have been allocated only Rs 50 crore in the Uttar Pradesh government’s budget for 2016-17, so I do not expect any construction contracts to be given out this year. At the most, the new designated metro organizations for each will begin recruitment activities to staff their organization, and later invite bids for the General Consultant services & civil construction.
For more Metro updates, check out the Home Page of the The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
UP officially becomes the state with highest number of approved metro systems! DMRC, NMRC, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi!
Maharashtra is the next highest with Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Nagpur. Pune not yet approved I suppose?
Yes you are right, and NMRC has not only Noida, but Greater Noida and Ghaziabad as well.
Pune’s project is awaiting the Centre’s approval. Lots of issues with planning & funding. Locals aren’t happy with the route or the fact that its planned to be elevated.
I think there is some flaws in the route of Kanpur Metro. First of all, Kanpur Central should be developed as Interchange Station for Metro from where two routes must pass. Route-1 from IIT Kanpur to Ramadevi and Route-2 from Naubasta to Phoolbagh which can be extended till shuklaganj in future.
Other routes may be developed as Phase – 2 in which Route-3 from Jaurali to nawabganj which can be extended up to new township in Ganga Bairaj and Route-3 from PSIT Bhaunti to Chakeri Airport via NH-2 extended upto Axis College, Rooma
In this way only you can connect the major Part of Kanpur City.
Metro should be developed keeping one more thing in mind is that to decongestant the population in old Kanpur city attracting people to live in the outskirt of the city and in doing so, Metro is the only hope which can help people living in the new developed area.
As far as I know the Varanasi Metro Rail Project is yet to receive Uttar Pradesh Government ‘s nod. Obviously, the Centre would give sanction when the project is submitted to it by the State Government. Kanpur Metro has been approved by the UP Cabinet and pending approval. According to my information, the Centre had raised some queries on the DPR of Kanpur Metro and though the same have been replied to by LMRC, there is no official confirmation as yet of the Centre’s approval.
Hi, the Varanasi project got approved by the UP govt in April (see this article) and escaped my radar as well. I’ve been trying to find a press release of the official confirmation by the MoUD or GOI’s cabinet, but couldn’t locate it. Sometimes their IT depts take a couple days to upload.
Any idea on Agra metro project? Agra Kanpur and Varanasi metro projects were planned to start simultaneously right?
dPR for agra metro was ready and last month only they have identified the space for depo.
UP govt didn’t allocate any funds for Agra’s metro in this year’s budget, so it won’t be taken up anytime soon.
With LMRC on the edge to commission the phase 1A priority section.
Pune metro is delayed due to political reasons.. Pune municipal corporation is ruled by an opposition party of that state government’s.. so there is cold war type situation is being created to take the credit of pune metro.. all the reasons of the project delay are just the techno commercial shields to justify the delay.. otherwise pune must have got metro before jaipur and Lucknow, seeing it’s vast population and area.
yes is the great achievement of the gov.
Growing pollution and traffic has resulted into development of more efficient mode of transportation. The Metro rail project in Uttar Pradesh will positively effect the pollution and also reduce the amount of tarffic in there. Government of Akhilesh Yadav has been working on lots of issues and gradually their work is been witnessed.
#Kaamboltahai
Source – http://samajwadiparty.in/kaamboltahai/portfolio/metro/
Yes, Wikipedia also the reliable source of information, not confirmed any development of Varanasi Metro aspect.
where is Kanpur Metro Target date fixed 2021, it’s deemed confirmed the fact of Varanasi Metro not initiate any status.
What is the status of Varanasi Metro?
What is the status of Varanasi Metro?