CHANDIGARH (Metro rail News): A 64.3-km metro rail network connecting Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula has been proposed by the Indian Railways consulting firm RITES Ltd in the most recent feasibility study report, which was submitted to the UT administration on November 24, 2022.
The report suggests that the metro rail system be developed in two stages. Three corridors totalling 44.5 km, including 16 km underground, make up the first phase in Chandigarh. The network will be expanded to Mohali and Panchkula in the second phase.
Chandigarh’s metro rail project was initially suggested in 2009, and the detailed project report (DPR), which cost Rs. 1.5 crores, was created in 2012. After that, surveys were taken, and the initial phase was scheduled to start in 2013.
However, Member of Parliament (MP) Kirron Kher opposed it in 2014 and claimed it would uproot the city; as a result, the Ministry of Home Affairs ultimately rejected it in 2017.
The MRTS plans were reactivated in August 2021 after one year, when the UT administration decided to pursue a new, comprehensive mobility strategy.
Chandigarh has the most significant number of registered automobiles per home in the nation—34 lakh—compared to its population of over 12 lakh, which causes traffic jams and snarls. In addition, over two lakh vehicles go through the city daily on interstate roads.
The comprehensive mobility plan given to BITES in December of last year is intended to address this growing issue.
