Lucknow Metro project gathers steam

Full Metro project likely to cost over Rs 16,000 cr comprising both proposed North-South and East-West Corridors

Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) today hit a major milestone with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav laying foundation of its Depot.

The Depot, which would have Lucknow Airport in its vicinity, would service LMRC for the North-South Corridor measuring almost 23 km, comprising both elevated and underground routes. The Corridor is likely to cost over Rs 8,000 crore and marks the first phase of the project.

Last month, LMRC Board had decided to make 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan as principal advisor.

The state government has indicated it would be completed in 3 years and would be up and running by 2016-17. However, ruling Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was present during the ceremony here, urged that it be completed in half the time.

The full Metro project is likely to cost over Rs 16,000 crore, comprising both the proposed North-South and East-West Corridors.

On June 27, 2013, the state government had given its formal nod to the proposed LMRC project.

Lucknow City has a population of over 3 million. There has been tremendous horizontal growth in the state capital with rapid development of suburban areas.

In such a scenario, a modern urban rapid rail transit system is imperative for a growing city like Lucknow to facilitate faster commuting and decongesting ever increasing road traffic.

The project is envisaged to be funded 50:50 by the Centre and UP on the lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and as suggested by the union urban development ministry. In this phase, Rs 1,300 core is to be borne by the Centre, Rs 2,183 core by the state government and its institutions. Rest of the funding would be external.

DMRC is the consultant for the project and had prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR). World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had already evinced interest in Lucknow Metro.

The Lucknow Metro project has been hanging fire for the last several years. During the previous Mayawati regime, the project could not move beyond the route alignment stage over funding model to be adopted.