UP Govt allocates ₹2,750 crores for RRTS and Metro Rail projects in cities

Lucknow, India (Metro Rail Today): The Government of Uttar Pradesh has allocated Rs 2,650 crore for the completion of ongoing Metro projects in Kanpur, Agra, and the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project. Apart from this, the Government also allocated Rs 100 crore for the Metro rail projects proposed in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, and other cities.

Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna announced that Rs 747 crore has been allocated for Kanpur Metro while Rs 597 crore is for Agra Metro in the current fiscal year. Besides, a sum of Rs 1,306 crore has been allocated for the ongoing construction work of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC).

"The government has allocated Rs 747 crore for Kanpur Metro, Rs 597 crore for Agra Metro and Rs 100 crore for Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and other Metro rail projects. Since funds are being allocated timely, the Kanpur, and Agra Metro projects are going ahead at a brisk pace. The Gorakhpur Metro project will also commence soon," said Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC).

"The Kanpur Metro project is worth Rs 11,076 crore of which 50% is being funded by European Investment Bank, and the rest by the Centre and state in 60:40 ratio. The Rs 747 crore allotted in the current fiscal year would be used for constructing the 23.7km stretch from IIT-Kanpur to Naubasta," said a UPMRC official, TOI reported.

The state government is planning to kickstart the work of the Gorakhpur Metrolite project within six months. The project is currently awaiting approval from the Central Government cabinet. The State Government cabinet and Public Investment Board (PIB) chaired by the Union finance secretary and expenditure had already approved the first phase of the Gorakhpur Metrolite project which will have 14 elevated stations on a 15.14 km stretch.

The estimated cost of the first phase of Gorakhpur Metrolite is Rs 2,670.37 crore and the project is estimated to be completed by 2024 and would cater to about 15.75 lakh population.

The government has allocated Rs 1,306 crore for the construction of a 17km priority corridor of RRTS from Sahibabad to Duhai scheduled to be commissioned by March 2023. The full corridor is likely to complete by 2025. NCRTC is planning to commence the trial run of the first train set by December 2022 as the first train set is delivered from the Alstom.