Ahmedabad Metro receives CMRS clearance
“We have received CMRS authorisation today. It means we can begin commercial operations and carry passengers. This will perhaps be the longest stretch of 33-odd kilometers to receive clearance,” a senior GMRC official told The Indian Express.
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"Graffiti spray bottles of different colours and bottle caps have been seized from the accused for further investigation," stated the press note.(File Photo)The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has provided “authorisation” to Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) to begin commercial operations in the entire 40-kilometer stretch of Phase-1 of Ahmedabad Metro.
“We have received CMRS authorisation today. It means we can begin commercial operations and carry passengers. This will perhaps be the longest stretch of 33-odd kilometers to receive clearance,” a senior GMRC official told The Indian Express.
Currently Ahmedabad Metro operates only on a 6.5 kilometer stretch on the East-West Corridor (Vastral Gam-Apparel Park).
With this clearance, Phase-1 of Ahmedabad Metro is expected to become fully functional during Navratri.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch operations on the remaining 33.5 kilometers that have 23 stations.
“The exact dates have not been decided, but the launch will happen during Navratri,” the official added about the project for which ground work had begun about seven years ago. PM Modi had inaugurated a small 6.5 kilometer section of this project ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2019.
The “authorisation” from CMRS comes after the body carried out detailed inspections on both the East-West Corridor (including the underground section between Apparel Park and Thaltej) and North-West Corridor (between APMC Vasna and Motera). The first inspection was carried out in August and the second one was held in first week of September.
GMRC officials said that the observations made by CMRS after the survey will be “complied with”. “There are some remarks and we have replied to the same,” the official added.
Despite the clearance, there are some incomplete sections in Phase-1. This include a 1.4-kilometre stretch between Thaltej and Thaltej Gam, the western-most stretch of the now partially operational East-West Corridor.
The other parts where work commenced late include the underground station of Kankaria-East and the Sabarmati metro station (which will provide one of the two crucial interlinkages for passengers travelling on the planned Bullet train and via the Indian Railways network).
These works are expected to finish only by March 2023.
Due to the delay in execution of the project, there has been a cost escalation of over Rs 2000 crore. This means about Rs 12700 crore have been spent on Phase-1 of the project.
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