Chandigarh: Metro to be delayed as new feasibility panel takes shape
Two months after ordering analysis of project’s viability in similarly sized cities, Chandigarh administrator now forms committee to undertake the task
The long wait for the tricity Metro project in Chandigarh is set to extend even further, as UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has officially formed an eight-member committee to evaluate the financial and economic feasibility of the system.
This comes two months after the administrator — during the September 2 Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA) meeting — had first instructed authorities to carefully examine the project’s viability in cities of comparable size.
This was followed by a contentious discussion at the UT Administrator’s Advisory Council (AAC) meeting on September 14, where former MP Kirron Kher had voiced her strong opposition to the project, while current MP Manish Tewari defended it as a crucial step towards tackling the city’s burgeoning traffic chaos.
Now, the administrator has appointed the committee to conduct an assessment in collaboration with Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES). The committee is expected to deliver its report within two months, setting the already-delayed project further back.
At the AAC meeting, Kirron Kher, a steadfast critic of the project while serving the city as MP for two terms since 2014, had reiterated her stand that the project will severely damage the city. “The project is not financially viable and will result in the entire city being dug up,” she argued.
On the other hand, Manish Tewari had expressed concern over the undue delay in the Metro project for Chandigarh and its neighbouring areas. He had advocated it as a futuristic project that would benefit not only the city but also the surrounding regions.
Panel to also explore other ways to decongest traffic
The committee has been tasked with assessing the overall feasibility of a Metro project for the city, analysing relevant reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on other Metro projects.
It will coordinate with RITES Limited for a comprehensive analysis, determining if a Metro is financially viable for Chandigarh, and will also explore other means of transport to decongest traffic in city.
The UT chief engineer has been appointed as the nodal officer and convener of the committee, with members including the UT urban planning secretary, UT transport secretary; transport administrative secretaries of Punjab and Haryana; administrative secretary of housing and urban development, Punjab; administrative secretary of town and country planning, Haryana; and the UT chief architect.
The committee will also work with stakeholders from Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHAIL), the IAF station and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to address inter-governmental coordination issues related to airport access and the development of a ring road around Chandigarh.
RITES plans to seek support from relevant ministries for the report preparation, including studies on financial viability in cities with similar populations. For instance, sources note that the Delhi Metro, which began operations in 2000, has only recorded profits in one year of its 24-year history, with that profit being marginal.
The UT engineering department has requested RITES Limited to employ radar technology to assess underground utilities in the area.
Two-coach Metro most viable for Tricity: RITES
Earlier this year, RITES had recommended that the two-coach Metro Rail system is the most viable option for the Chandigarh tricity area in its Alternatives Analysis Report (AAR). In addition, the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) had approved an underground Metro system in heritage sectors (1 to 30).
Ever since, three UMTA meetings have been held to discuss the AAR and the Geotechnical Investigations Report for the mass rapid transit system (MRTS) in the tricity.
UMTA functions as a unified platform to address mobility issues across the tricity, coordinating stakeholders in implementing mobility plans to improve traffic conditions.
Two phases planned
Estimated to cost around ₹24,000 crore overall, the Metro project’s Phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2032, as per the AAR. Under this phase, a stretch of 85.65 km has been planned, comprising both overhead and underground routes, with 16.5 km of underground route falling in the heritage sectors.
The first phase includes three routes: Sultanpur, New Chandigarh, to Sector 28, Panchkula (34 km); Sukhna Lake to Zirakpur ISBT via Mohali ISBT and Chandigarh airport (41.20 km); and from Grain Market Chowk, Sector 39, to Transport Chowk, Sector 26 (13.30 km), along with a 2.5 km depot entry line.
In Phase 2, which will be developed after 2034, a 25-km line has been proposed from Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar (5 km) and ISBT Zirakpur to Pinjore (20 km), primarily an elevated network.