J&K speeds up ₹5,000-cr metro rail project

Shortly after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government has fast tracked the development of the ₹5,000 crore metro rail projects in Srinagar. The plans for the Srinagar Metro have been finalized with the work expected to start shortly as the DPR for Srinagar Metro is ready with the plans to run two corridors of 12.5 km each. With the population of Srinagar projected to rise to 37 lakh by 2044, the metro plan has been prepared keeping in mind that this will be the primary mode of transport in the near future. Each corridor of Srinagar metro will have 12 stations each. 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan has been appointed the project head, said Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Choudhary, adding that the administration is working for the betterment and prosperous future of the state. The bidding process will begin soon for entirely elevated metro corridors. To start with, 3-coach metro will be operated with each coach having a capacity of 250 people and the metro will run for 17 hours a day in summers and will run for 14 hours during winters. The first metro corridor will be between HMT Junction in the city and Indiranagar and 12 stations on this route will be HMT Junction, Parimpora, Bus Stand, Qamarwari, Gazarzoo, Rathpora, Batmaloo, Secretariat, Lal Chowk, Munshi Bagh, Sonwar and Indiranagar. The other corridor between Osmanabad and Hazoori Bagh will have stations at Osmanabad, Hazratbal Crossing, Soura, Skims, Nalbal Bridge, Mill Stop, Hawal Chowk, Jama Masjid, Khaniyar, Nowpora, Munshi Bagh and Hazoori Bagh.