Lucknow Metro

The Lucknow Metro (Hindi: लखनऊ मेट्रो Lucknow Metro) is a proposed rapid transit system in the city of Lucknow, India. Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation Limited or LMRC is responsible to build and operate this network.^[1] The metro project will be the most expensive public transport system in the state of Uttar Pradesh, costing 12500 crore (US$2 billion). It will provide speedy mass transport and help in de-congesting city roads.^[2][3]

The proposed metro rail network was planned to consist of two corridors: North-South and East-West one from Amausi to Munshi Pulia and other from Vasant Kunj to Charbagh Railway Station. Both lines will intersect at Charbagh. An extension line from Indira Nagar – Gomti Nagar – Polytechnic Crossing will extend it to Patrakarpuram, Gomti Nagar.^[4] The difference between arrival time of trains at each station is expected to be 7 minutes. This would be reduced to 5 minutes and then to 3 minutes in phases.The work of the first phase will start in December this year.^[5]

History

Initially the Lucknow Metro Rail Project was planned to include two corridors: North-South and East-West; and the Gomti Nagar link. The construction cost was estimated at Rs74.13 billion for North-South corridor, Rs48.79 billion for East-West corridor and Rs4.95 billion for Gomti Nagar link.^{[6] [7]}

The North-South corridor was to connect Amausi airport to Munshipulia and cover a distance of 23 km, including 14.87 km elevated, 1 km ramp and 7.2 km underground. This corridor will have a total 21 stations including 15 overhead and six underground. The elevated stations would have included the Airport terminal, Amausi, Transport Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Singaar Nagar, Alambagh, Alambagh ISBT. This shall be followed by an underground section that will include Durgapuri, Lucknow Railway Station (Charbagh), Hussain Ganj, Sachivalaya (Uttar Pradesh Secretariat), Hazratganj, KD Singh Babu Stadium. Here after, the track will be elevated again, stations in the sequence are Dalibagh crossing, Lucknow University, IT College, Mahanagar, Badshahnagar, Lekhraj Market, Ramsagar Mishra Nagar, Indira Nagar and a new terminus Munshi Pulia.^[8]

For the Gomti Nagar link, the train coming from the airport terminal was to be diverted towards Gomti Nagar at the Indira Nagar trisection Polytechnic crossing along an elevated route. The planned stations were Indira Nagar Trisection, West End Mall [Waves Multiplex], Gomti Nagar & Patrakarpuram.

The East-West corridor was planned to connect the Lucknow railway station at Charbagh to Vasantkunj on Hardoi Road and have a total length of 11 km, including 4.29 km elevated, 0.5 km ramp and 6.3 km underground. This corridor was to have 12 stations including seven underground and five overhead. The stations at Lucknow Railway Station (Charbagh), Gautam Buddha Marg, Aminabad, Pandeyganj, Chattrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (King George Medical University) and Niwazganj were to be below ground level, and an elevated section for the Thakurganj, Balaganj, Sarfarazganj, Moosabagh and the Vasant Kunj terminal stations.

The designed speed of metro would be 80 km/hr while the scheduled speed would be 34 km/ hr for North-South corridor and 32 km/hr for East-West corridor. There would be only one depot at Vasant Kunj spread over a land measuring 20 hectares. The Amausi Depot has been done away because of its proximity to the Airport and the subsequent reasons of security and safety.^[9]

In 2013, the Department of Urban Planning did away with the two-corridor layout and recommended a dense network of metro connectivity in Lucknow. The entire route has been proposed to be built overhead. Due to this, the overall cost of the project will go up due to an expanded network, the operating cost per km will be reduced. This is because the cost of constructing one km of overhead track is 1.8 billion (US$29 million) as compared to 5.5 billion (US$88 million) for an underground track. Also, an underground track consumes much more energy and is less safe. There is also a proposal to start a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) as a feeder service to the metro.^[10]

Project timeline

• September 2008: DMRC submits a concept paper after the Lucknow metro rail project is proposed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• October 2008: The metro rail project in Lucknow is cleared by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).
• February 2009: An agreement is signed between DMRC and LDA.
• June 2009: A Bangalore-based company hired by DMRC studies traffic pattern of Lucknow.
• July 2009: Geo-technical survey initiated by DMRC.
• April 2010: Traffic and transportation report is submitted by DMRC.
• May 2010: DMRC and a committee headed by the Chief Secretary of Government of UP start consultation process related to traffic issues.
• June 2010: DMRC submits the route alignment plan. The divisional commissioner of Lucknow is asked to coordinate with the concerned departments.
• August 2010: DMRC presents the detailed route plan.
• September 2010: The committee headed by the divisional commissioner consults DMRC on the route once again.
• July 2011: A detailed project report (DPR) is submitted.
• June 2013: The state cabinet headed by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav gave clearance to the metro rail network.^[11]
• August 2013: UP government approved the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by DMRC.^[12]
• October 2013: Name of Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation approved. Construction Phase to begin in December.^[5]
• November 2013: DMRC pitches for Lucknow Metro work, assures first phase completion by Feb 2017.^[13]
• December 2013: Government of India, in principle, approves the project.^[14]

Status

The collection of soil samples for metro construction began on 5 August 2009.^[15] and was completed in September the same year. The report concluded that the soil condition was feasible for metro rail.^[16] The Uttar Pradesh state budget for 2013–14 provided funding for the metro project.^[17] In February 2013, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had given the final clearance for establishing the metro in Lucknow.^[18] A committee headed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani will oversee the initial stages of development of the project.^[2][3] In May 2013, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) offered financial assistance to the Uttar Pradesh government for the metro rail project.^[12][19]

References

External links

• Lucknow Metro
• Collage of news articles related to Lucknow Metro