The biggest city in Andhra Pradesh – Visakhapatnam – which is being touted as the Executive capital of Andhra Pradesh deserves metro rail to cater to the growing transportation needs of the people.
A joint venture of the Government of India, Government of A.P. and IL&FS Engineering and Construction Limited, the designs and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Vizag Metro have been prepared by Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC), which has been chosen as a consultant for the project.
U.J.M. Rao, Managing Director, AP Metro Rail Corporation(APMRC), who is optimistic about the beginning of the work shortly, says: “We have submitted the final DPR for construction of Vizag Metro Rail to the State government. Once the project gets the approval of the State Cabinet, we will send it to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for clearance.”
The Government of India will bear 20% of the project cost as Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and the State government 20%, while the remaining cost will be invested by the private investor for the Vizag Metro project, which will be taken up in the PPP mode.
The metro corridors proposed are: the 64.09 km Kurmannapalem Junction to Bhogapuram via Gajuwaka and Anandapuram. Initially, the corridor will be up to Kommadi Junction (34 km) and after the construction of the Bhogapuram International Airport, the metro corridor would be extended till the airport to provide seamless connectivity to air passengers from the city.
The second 6.5 km corridor will be from Thatichetlapalem Junction (present National Highway) to Park Hotel Junction via Railway New Colony, Railway Station, Old Jail Road, Vivekananda statue junction, RTC Complex, Sampath Vinayaka temple road and AU Out Gate.
The third 5.5 km corridor will be from Gurudwara junction (Santhipuram) to Old Head Post Office (OHPO) junction via Diamond Park, LIC, Dabagardens, City Police Commissioner’s Office and Poorna Market backside road.
“We have chosen the Light Metro system, and elevated corridor to save on costs. There are no issues with land acquisition in any of the corridors, except at OHPO junction in the third corridor. We have already held discussions with officials of the State Bank of India (SBI) and with officials of a shipping company, located in the area, regarding their properties, and they have responded positively,” Mr. Rao has told The Hindu.
‘Eco-friendly’
“The metro rail provides an economical, fast, comfortable and eco-friendly mode of transport to the people. The maximum frequency between two trains will be 8 minutes in each corridor. Initially, there will be two coaches, and depending on the demand their number can be increased,” he adds.
