Metro rail for Vizag, Vijayawada in limbo

• The Vijayawada project to be implemented in three phases was estimated at Rs 15,000 crore

• APMRC was entrusted to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to connect Vijayawada with Amaravati during the TDP regime

• Bids were invited for implementation of the project but did not evoke any response

• Uncertainty prevailed over the project with YSRCP coming to power in June, 2019

• For Vizag project, 80 km of metro tracks and 60 km of trams is conceived at a cost of Rs 14,309 crore

• Regional office of the AP Metro Rail Corporation Ltd opened in Vizag by the YSRCP Government

Visakhapatnam/ Vijayawada: The metro rail projects conceived long ago for Visakhapatnam, the commercial hub of Andhra Pradesh and Vijayawada, the second largest city, have remained a non-starter for a variety of reasons.

Keeping in view the projected growth and rising vehicular traffic, the metro rail projects were proposed to decongest traffic. The Vijayawada project with three corridors to be implemented in three phases was estimated at Rs 15,000 crore. The then Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation which later became Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (APMRC), was entrusted to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to connect Vijayawada with capital Amaravati during the Telugu Desam Party regime.

Bids were also invited for implementation of the project. However, it did not evoke any response due to doubts over viability and projected growth. Clouds of uncertainty prevailed over the project subsequently with the YSRCP coming to power in June, 2019 and announcing to develop Visakhapatnam as the executive capital. The DPR for Vijayawada project was prepared by RITES, Systra and Gopa.

Visakhapatnam, which has a robust industrial base, is conceived as per the revised plan, with 80 km of metro tracks and 60 km of trams at an estimated cost of Rs 14,309 crore with a futuristic design and with each station developed into commercial hubs. Green technologies will be adopted for construction of the metro stations, a senior official of AP Metro Rail Corporation was quoted as saying sometime ago. The DPR for the project is also ready.

"The Central Government is yet to receive a formal request for funding for the Visakhapatnam metro rail project. The Government of India as per the metro rail policy will give up to 20 per cent of the project cost (excluding land and rehabilitation and resettlement cost) under the Viability Gap Funding," BJP national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member G V L Narasimha Rao told Bizz Buzz.

The regional office of the AP Metro Rail Corporation Ltd was opened here in Visakhapatnam by the YSRCP Government raising the hope that it will help in speeding up the implementation. The State Cabinet had also decided to give fast-track status to the project in view of the decision to shift the bureaucratic set-up to Visakhapatnam as part of making it the executive capital.