Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (APMRC) will organise a two-day developers and investors meeting in Mumbai on January 31 and February 1 for implementation of the Vizag Metro Rail (VMR) project in Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode. This apart, the corporation officials will also attend the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) meetings in New Delhi on Monday.
Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday to share about the latest developments of VMR project, the APMRC Managing Director U.J.M. Rao said that they are visiting New Delhi on Monday to attend MoHUA meetings to further push VMR for financial clearances and approval.
“This apart, we will also organise a meeting with interested developers and investors in Mumbai by end of this month. Reliance, Tata Projects, Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Pvt Ltd, Siemens and others will participate in the meeting,” Mr. Rao said.
He said that the Andhra Pradesh government has already decided to complete the 76.9 km metro rail project at an estimated cost of ₹14,309 crore. On December 15, 2023, the State had issued Cabinet approval for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) through an official government order dated December 29.
In the financial model approved by the State government, 20% will be borne by the Centre, 20% by the State and the remaining 60% by the private developer.
However, State government had recently made a special request to the Centre on January 11, 2024, to support the State by bearing the total government’s share of 40% (both the State and the Central) as this project was one of the promises made in the AP Reorganization Act 2014, Mr. Rao said.
The DPR along with all necessary reports and documents has been submitted to the MoHUA and the prospective Ministry, which is under active consideration, he said, while adding that the technical and operating system will be similar to the National Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the capital area of Delhi.
VMR has a total length of 76.9 kilometres and consists of four corridors with 54 intermittent stations. They are Steel Plant-Kommadi Corridor (34.4 km) with 29 stations, Gurudwara-Old Post Office (5.07 km) with six stations, Tatichetlapalem-Chinna Waltair (6.75 km) with seven stations and Kommadi-Bhogapuram International Airport (30.67 km) with 12 stations, Mr. Rao said.
