Lucknow Metro's east-west corridor set to take fast track
Lucknow: The
(PIB) has given nod to the
's
, which will link Charbagh to Vasantkunj as part of
of the project.
The only step before kickstarting the project is to secure approval from the Union Cabinet.
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A meeting of PIB was held in Delhi in the first week of May with the Union finance secretary presiding over the proceedings. After the Uttar Pradesh govt approved the detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed corridor in March 2024, the Network Planning Group (NPG) in Delhi granted clearance on July 9, 2024.
The corridor will extend for 11.165 km comprising 4.286 km of elevated tracks and 6.879 km situated underground.
There will be 12 stations, seven underground and five elevated. The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 5,801 crore and is expected to be completed within five years.
A key feature of the East-West Corridor is its direct connection with the existing North-South Corridor at Charbagh Metro Station, which will function as an interchange point for passengers moving between these two routes.
The planned sequence of stations is as follows: Charbagh, Gautam Buddha Marg, Aminabad, Pandeyganj, City Railway Station, Medical Chauraha, Chowk (all underground), Thakurganj, Balaganj, Sarfarazganj, Moosabagh and Vasant Kunj (all elevated).
With the completion of this new corridor, accessibility to densely populated areas of Old Lucknow such as Aminabad, Chowk, and Thakurganj is expected to improve. It will also serve the developing region of Vasant Kunj. Integration with the existing 23-kilometre North-South Corridor will expand Lucknow's metro network to 35 km.
Launched in 2017, the Lucknow Metro has fallen behind its peers in network expansion.
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Currently, the city boasts only a 23km metro network, significantly less than Delhi's 435 km, Mumbai's 90 km, and Bengaluru's 77 km. Even Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, which started around the same time, have expanded to 69 km and 59 km, respectively.
UPMRC managing director Sushil Kumar said, "Metro's expansion will provide residents a smooth, safe, and world-class urban transit system, even in the city's most congested parts. We are confident that we will finish the project ahead of schedule."
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