UKMRC submits DPR of Rs 1,663 crore Metro Neo project for Uttarakhand

Dehradun, India (Urban Transport News): The Government of Uttarakhand initially planned a Metro system for the Dehradun-Haridwar Metropolitan area for which Delhi Metro Rail Corporation prepared a DPR in January 2020 as per Metro Rail Policy 2017 issued by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and recommended Metrolite system for all the four corridors including two corridors in Dehradun city (North-South corridor from ISBT to Kandholi and East-West corridor from FRI to Raipur). No decision could be taken on this DPR due to various factors including high cost.

In the meantime, MoHUA has recently issued standard specifications of Metro Neo in November 2020. The first project of Metro Neo has been planned in the city of Nashik, Maharashtra. The cost of Metro Neo being much less than Metrolite, it has been decided in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Torath Singh Rawat on January 29, 2021, that Metro Neo should be examined for implementation in place of Metrolite in Dehradun city for both corridors (N-S & E-W) except the stretch of NS corridor on Rajpur road.

In view of the above, a new DPR for Metro Neo has been prepared by Uttarakhand Metro Rail, Urban Infrastructure & Building Construction Corp. Ltd. based on primary & secondary traffic data collected for the DPR of Metrolite including Topography survey and Geotechnical investigations etc. Cost estimations in this DPR are broadly based on Nashik Metro Neo DPR. Considering an escalation at the rate of 5% per year.

As decided, the stretch on Rajpur Road, from Gandhi Park to Kandholi, has been excluded and the N-S corridor considered in this DPR is only from ISBT to Gandhi Park (8.523 Kms). The stretch of 2.52 Kms (Gandhi Park to Kandholi) on the Rajpur Road will be served either by running the Metro Neo coaches as battery-operated buses at grade in shared access with other traffic or by some other suitable mode of transport so that there is no impact on the ridership estimated in the DPR of Metrolite and same ridership estimation and projections have been taken in this DPR.

The proposed Metro Neo corridors in the Dehradun city area are one from ISBT to Gandhi Park which runs north-south and another from FRI to Raipur which runs East-West. The Ghantaghar Station will be the Interchange Station between the two Metro Neo Corridors.

Corridor-1 runs from ISBT to Gandhi Park, via Sewla Kalan, ITI, Lalpul, Chamanpuri, Pathri Bagh, Railway Station, District Court, and Ghantaghar.

Corridor-2 runs from FRI to Raipur via Ballupur Chowk, IMA Blood Bank, Doon School, Malhotra Bazar, Ghantaghar, CCMC, Araghar Chowk, Nehru Colony, Rispana/Vidhan Sabha, Upper Badrish Colony, Upper Nathanpur, Ordnance Factory, and Hathi Khana Chowk. A total of 25 (10 on N-S and 15 on E-W corridors) stations have been proposed along both the corridors and all the stations are Elevated.

Corridors planned in new DPR

Corridor 1: ISBT Dehradun - Gandhi Park

• Total Route Length: 8.523 km
• Total Stations: 10
• Station Names: ISBT Dehradun, Sewla Kalan, ITI, Lalpul, Chamanpuri, Patthari Bagh, Dehradun Railway Station, Dehradun Court, Ghantaghar and Gandhi Park.

Corridor 2: FRI - Raipur

• Total Route Length: 13.901 km
• Total Stations: 15
• Station Names: FRI, Ballupur Chowk, IMA Blood Bank, Doon School, Malhotra Bazar, Ghantaghar, CCMC, Araghar Chowk, Nehru Colony, Vidhasabha, Upper Badrish Colony, Upper Nathanpur, Ordinance Factory, Hathikhana Chowk and Raipur.

Estimated Cost: (January 2021 price level)

• Capital Cost: Rs 1,525.36 crores
• Central taxes & duties: Rs 137.44 crores
• Total Cost: Rs 1,662.8 crores

Selection of technology

The proposed Metro Neo system will be designed to comply with the performance, environmental and design criteria. The proposed rolling stock will be low floor rubber tyred electric coaches. Such type of coach offers great modularity and flexibility since the coach can be customized to fit different customer requirements.

Multi-model Integration

These corridors are planned for a multi-modal system, where the proposed Metro Neo will be complemented by the city bus services currently under implementation and feeder services to be deployed by Uttarakhand Government. The need is now to ensure that people have safe, comfortable and secure access to the above modes as well as seamless integration facilities.