Development is necessary for any state, institution, or city for growth. The development comes in many forms and sizes, in some cases, it is in the form of healthcare or educational development while in others it is in the form of infrastructural development. Metro is a well-designed infrastructural development program that is being carried out throughout India. This program is aimed to connect links throughout the metropolitan cities. Bhopal is on its way to becoming a metropolitan city while it already holds the title of a smart city.
Understanding Metro trains and station
Metro trains are a modernized concept that is established to solve the problem of pollution from vehicles and to create easy access for travelers to commute within the city. Metro trains are powered by an electricity grid and are generated at a high speed. All the coaches of metro trains are air-conditioned and can cover routes and areas of up to 50-60 kilometers. The metro trains unlike other trains travel shorter distances and that too within the diameter of the city limits, at max, it connects the network to the nearby city.
Bhopal Metro Project
Bhopal Metro project also known as the Bhoj metro project is currently under construction that is being built to serve the city of Bhopal. The total system comprises 6 corridors that will cover a distance of 104.87 kilometers and cost about 80 billion dollars approximately. The project is being carried out by The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited.
As per the news, the Bhopal metro might be inaugurated by 2023 in September although with a shorter-than-expected route. The Bhoj metro project is under construction mass rapid transit system with 2 lines and 28 stations. This 105 km masterplan was prepared by Rohit Associates Cities & Rails Pvt.Ltd, 6 corridors or metro lines crisscross the city out of which 2 lines are selected for Phase 1 implementation.
The state approved the Phase 1 project’s DPR (Detailed Project Report) with routes of 27.87 km in December 2016 and also by the cabinet of the Central Government in October 2018. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed in 2027.
The finances of the project are being managed by a loan from the official development assistance (ODA) and a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and also a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) of 400 million euros for this project signed on December 20, 2019.
The project’s foundation stone was laid by the state’s Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan in 2019 and was thereafter named the Bhoj Metro Project. The construction of phase 1 began in January 2019 and is expected to complete by 2026-27.
Conclusion
The Bhopal Metro Project just like the redevelopment project of the Rani Kamalapti railway station is a step towards the urban development of the city. It is the way to connect the entire city through an electricity grid emphasizing reducing pollution and traffic in the city. It will not only act as an advancing stage of a modernized metropolitan city but also as an ease of commuting for the upcoming generation.
