Metro in India: Great response to population growth

metro en india
metro en india

At present, almost 316 km of metro are being commissioned and more than 500 are being built in others 13 cities in India. a transport means that has great future in the country.

The increased number of the inhabitants in the main cities is one of the reasons on which the transport plans of the Government of India are based. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is working to promote new infrastructures to respond to growing mobility demands, since 60% of the population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050. The investments are focused on improving metropolitan railway systems and offering high-capacity solutions to meet the needs of those cities with longer travel distances and with inhabitants concentrated along the high-demand corridors.

The network advances

India begins a new stage where the commitment to public transport is clear. The first network, in Calcutta, opened in 1984, while the second was opened in 2002, in New Delhi. Afterwards, many other cities began to implement metropolitan railway projects. According to the data provided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), at present, there are almost 316 kilometers of metro commissioned and more than 500 km under construction in other 13 cities of the country, including certain second phases within the existing systems. Currently India eight operational networks: New Delhi (217 km), Bangalore (42.30 km), Kolkata (27.39 km), Chennai (27.36 km), Kochi (13.30 km), Mumbai (Line 1-11.40 km) Jaipur-9.00 km and Gurugram (Rapid Metro-1.60 km). The new cities that acquire metro services are: Hyderabad (71 kms), Nagpur (38 kms), Ahmedabad (36 kms), Pune (31.25 kms) and Lucknow (23 kms).

Metro of Bangalore

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a financing agreement with the Government, in the amount of 300 million EUR for the first section of the second phase of the Metro of Bangalore. These funds also include the acquisition of 96 new trains. This stage will also be supported by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The project takes into consideration the extension of the East-West and North-South lines, including a total of 72,095 kilometers and 61 stations. The project’s implementation period is five years.

Metro of New Delhi

This network, which began operating in 2020, has 193 kilometers, 145 stations and six lines (red, yellow, blue, green, violet, and orange or Airport Express). It covers the cities of Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad and transports 1.8 million travelers per day. Its services are expected to reach most neighborhoods and adjacent areas by 2020. To this end, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has undertaken several extension projects, which have been divided into phases. The “Phase III” lines will start operating in a phased manner until almost fully operational in March 2018. The two new sections of the pink and violet branches will have more than 90 kilometers and 61 stations. The first line of 58 km will serve densely populated Eastern areas such as Mayur Vihar, Vinodnagar and Karkardooma. The violet line of 34 km, will link the West of Delhi to Noida through the national terminal of the IGI airport. In Phase III, 15 interchange stations will also be added to the existing nine.

In addition, the Government of Delhi has approved “Phase IV” for the construction of six corridors, which will measure 103 kilometers. The majority of the route will be built above-ground, with 66.92 kilometers, while the underground section will have 37.01 kilometers. The bidding process will begin following the approval of the Ministry of Urban Development. Works are scheduled to be completed in six years. The six corridors of the next phase are: Rakala-Narela (21.73 km), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km), AerocityTughlakabad (20.20 km), Lajpat Nagar-Saket G-Block (7.96 km), Janakpuri (west) RK Ashram (28.92 km) and Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km). Once completed, the total length of the network will be of 450 kilometers.

 Metro of Chennai

Chennai is the fourth most populous city in India, with eight million inhabitants. The first phase of this network includes two lines (green and blue) covering 45.1 kilometers and 32 stations. The above-ground section entered into commercial operation between 2015 and 2016. Once completed, it will be one of the largest metro systems in India, along with the Metros of Delhi, Namma and Calcutta. In the second phase, the construction of three new lines, with more than 80% of the underground route has been approved, which is estimated to be completed by 2024. They will have 104 kilometers and 104 stations. In July 2017, the State’s Legislative Assembly announced an extension for this second phase, with an additional cost of 38.5 billion dollars for the original cost of this project phase amounting to 850.470 million EUR. This will involve the extension of line 4 to Poonamallee, with the Madhavaram-Sholinganallur lines, among others.

 Metro of Bombay

Bombay, with more than 10 million inhabitants, has a metro network whose first section (L1) was inaugurated in 2014. At present, progress is registered with works divided into three phases, which will be completed between 2021 and 2022. On that date, according to the planned program, it will have eight lines, 200 kilometers and 169 stations. 20% of the route will be underground, the remaining ratio being above-ground. L2 will have 17 stations. This section is performed in two phases 2A and 2B. Corridor 2A of 18,589 km has 17 stations and will cost 99.50 million dollars. Corridor 2B will have 23,643 km and it is estimated to cost 109,700 million dollars. This section, whose construction will commence this year, will have 22 stations. L3 will be mostly underground, with 33.50 km and 27 stations and a cost of 3.6100 million dollars.

 Metro of Noida

The project will have a total of 22 stations -13 on land and seven above-ground. The project, which is implemented by Noida’s Metropolitan Railways Corporation (NMRC) will be completed in April 2018. The two routes are a line of 29.7 km between the city center (Sector 32) to Greater Noida and a 6.7 km section from the city center to Sector 62. In September 2016, a consortium formed by Ansaldo STS and ZTE was awarded the contract in the amount of 38.8 million EUR, including signaling, control of trains and telecommunications.

 Metro of Kochi

The construction of the Metro of Kochi, which will cover 100% of the surface, will begin in June 2013. One line that is already in operation, another under construction and the third already has approval for its future development. It is the eighth interurban railway project in India. At present, it has 13 km. It will be extended to 25.6 kilometers via 22 stations. In addition, it is the first metro service in the country that will use solar power to supply a quarter of its electricity needs. One in 23 stations will have solar panels, which will generate 2.3 megawatts (MW). Alstom has been awarded a contract of 85 million EUR to build 25 trains that will be included within this network.

 Metro of Nagpur

The Nagpur metro is a system under construction that will cost 1.400 million dollars. The works began on May 31st, 2015, the trial beginning on September 30th, 2017 and an early partial commercial operation anticipated for December 2017. The project will consist of a corridor of 38,215 km, 37 stations and 2 depots. The route will be divided into two alignments: north-south corridor of 19.6 kilometers and 18 stations; and east-west corridor of 18.5 kilometers and 19 stations. Siemens has been selected by the developer, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corp, to provide signaling for the first phase.

Metro of Lucknow

The Lucknow Metro will have 2 lines, the red line (north-south) and the blue line (east-west). At present, the initial phase of the first line is in operation and the second section is under construction. The total cost of both lines is in the amount of 2,000 million dollars. The North-South corridor begins at the airport and goes to Munshi Pulia, having a total of 22,878 kilometers. The east-west branch begins at the Charbagh railway station and ends at Vasant Kunj. Both lines will cross the Charbagh railway station. On September 5th, 2017, the Minister of the Interior and Member of Parliament for Lucknow, Rajnath Singh, attended the opening of the branch between Transport Nagar and Charbagh station. 50% of this project benefits from external financing from the EIB (European Investment Bank). Regarding the rolling stock, two years ago, Alstom was awarded the contract for the supply of 20 Metropolis units for the first phase.

 Metro of Ahmedabad

The project known as MEGA (Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad) or the Metro of Ahmedabad is a system under construction for both cities. Works began on March 14th, 2015 and the first phase of 39.2 kilometers, will be completed in 2020. In total, the network will have two lines and 32 stations. The north-south corridor, with a length of 18,522 km, will be completely above-ground, with 15 stations.

Metro of Calcutta

The first metro system in the country, opened in 1984, was the Metro of Calcutta. The operation line links the city and districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and will soon reach Howrah in the state of West Bengal. In addition, there are plans involves the extension of this L1 to North and of another five lines. The construction of the L2 began in 2009. It will run from Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) Sector 5 (in the East) to the Howrah station (in the West). Unlike L1, operated by Indian Railways, L2 will be under the responsibility of a new company: Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) and will run East to West (East-West Metro). This is a 750 million dollar project to link the city to Howrah via an underground line, under the Hooghly River. For its part, L3 will have 16.72 kilometers along Joka, in the South and Esplanade, in the center, and 12 stations. The construction of the 18.5-km L4 from Noapara to Barasat via the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport has also begun. The Baranagar-Barrackpore Metro, L5, of 12,40 km, was designed to allow a faster travel from the northern suburbs to South Kolkata. Finally, a L6 link has been initiated between New Garia and the airport (29.1 km).

Metro of Jaipur

The Metro of Jaipur was scheduled to be built in several phases. Phase I and Phase II will be completed in 2018 and 2021, respectively. At present, the line has 9.6 kilometers in operation and nine stations. The estimated cost of the East-West section is of 490 million dollars. The State Government finances a part of the works with a fund of 94 million dollars.

Metro of Namma

The Metro of Namma, also known as Bengaluru, is the Bangalore City’s network, which entered into commercial operation in October 2011. It is currently the second-longest operating network in India. It has two lines (purple and green), with a total length of 42.3 kilometers and 41 stations and an average of 315,000 passengers per day. Phase II of its expansion includes the extension of the current lines and the construction of three new branches: L3, L4 and ORR Metro of 17 kilometers. These new kilometers are expected to be incorporated between December 2018 and March 2023.