5 min readChandigarhJul 19, 2023 07:28 AM IST
First published on: Jul 19, 2023 at 07:28 AM IST
The Punjab and Haryana governments, along with representatives of the Chandigarh administration, on Tuesday held a meeting during which they revised and approved a Metro network in the Tricity in the first phase from the previous 66 kilometres to around 77 kilometres.
The three administrations also unilaterally decided to assign work to RITES for compiling a detailed project report and an annual analysis report for the project. A senior official of the UT administration, after Tuesday’s meeting, stated that most of the project will be overground, but a final decision regarding the same will be taken during the preparation of the DPR.
As per the new plan approved on Tuesday, of the 77 km stretch under Phase 1, Chandigarh will see 35 kilometres of Metro network, Panchkula will have 11 km, and Mohali/New Chandigarh will have 31 kms. The first phase of the network will be developed from 2027 to 2037.
As per details, during Tuesday’s meeting, both Punjab and Haryana governments jointly suggested that more area be brought under Phase 1 of the Metro. After this, a distance of nearly 6 km from Paroul in New Chandigarh to Sarangpur, and about a five kilometre stretch from Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Extension in Sector 20 was approved to be included in Phase 1 of the Metro rail project. The additional 11 km added will see multiple major destinations in the area being covered, an official said.
“We have included 11 kilometres more under Phase 1 now, compared to the earlier proposal when we were covering 66km only. A few major destinations in the city, which everyone thought needed to be added on the Metro route, has been included,” a senior officer from the Chandigarh administration said, while speaking to The Indian Express.
According to the RITES, the cost of preparing the detailed project report will be around Rs 6.54 crore. The DPR is expected to be ready by March 2024, post which further permissions will be sought to begin construction of the project.
As far as the funding is concerned, it was decided that 20 per cent of the project will be paid by the states, 20 per cent by the Centre, with the remaining 60 per cent being financed by a lending agency. The tentative cost of the overall project has been pegged to be around Rs 10,570 crore.
The new plan
After Tuesday’s meeting, the distance and the routes to be covered by the metro network in two phases has been majorly revised. In the first phase, which will be developed between 2027 and 2037, the Metro has been proposed on three routes — Paroul, Sarangpur, ISBT Panchkula to Panchkula Extension (30 km), Rock Garden to ISBT Zirakpur via Industrial Area and Chandigarh Airport (34 km); and from Grain Market Chowk, Sector 39, to Transport Chowk, Sector 26 (13 km).
In the second phase, which will be commenced post 2037, the Metro line will be constructed from Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar (5 km) and ISBT Zirakpur to Pinjore (20km).
The three key routes
The Metro will operate primarily on three key routes in the first phase. One key route, as per the approved plan, is a 30 kilometre stretch from Paroul, New Chandigarh to Panchkula extension. The plan states that the Metro would be touching Paroul, New Chandigarh via Kurali-Chandigarh road to Sarangpur and will be covering Khuda Lahora, PGI, Panjab University and then entering Madhya Marg towards Transport Light, Sector 26 to Chandigarh railway station.
The route will then travel on the Mauli Jagran road to Housing Board Chowk and enter Panchkula and go towards Geeta Chowk (that is sector 6 roundabout). It then passes through the Panchkula bus stand go straight to Maheshpur road to Amartex road towards Sector 20 Panchkula, before entering Panchkula extension (Madanpur).
The second key route that will be covered in Phase 1 will be from Rock Garden to ISBT Zirakpur via ISBT Mohali and Chandigarh Airport. This metro route will start from near the Rock Garden and Sukhna lake, before moving towards ISBT Sector 17 Chandigarh and further to ISBT Sector 43 to Fountain Chowk. The route then continues via the Himalaya Marg and enters Mohali, while touching Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan and continues further towards Jail road Chowk to Airport chowk and the Aerocity Road NH-7 junction. This route will aim to touch two major points — ISBT Mohali sector 87 and the ISBT Zirakpur — and will be 34 kilometre long.
The third route in Phase I will cover Grain Market Chowk to Transport Light/Timber Market Sector 26 and will be around 13 kilometres. This route will begin from the Grain Market Chowk and go towards Vikas Marg and move further towards Tribune Chowk before finally culminating at the Transport Light/Timber Market in Sector 26.
As per details, during Tuesday's meeting, both Punjab and Haryana governments jointly suggested that more area be brought under Phase 1 of the Metro. (File) 
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