Tricity Metro: Chandigarh Section Of Metro Corridor Approved For Underground Route To Preserve Heritage Landscape

The Tricity Metro — connecting Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula — has received approval from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to run its lines fully underground in heritage sectors of 1 to 30.

This decision follows the recommendation of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee sub-panel earlier this year, emphasising the city's heritage status, reports Hindustan Times.

Initially, the corridor was proposed with mostly elevated tracks and stations by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) for the 154-km Metro network across the tricity.

The approved plan now includes approximately 8 km of elevated tracks out of a proposed 20 km network in Chandigarh, aiming to preserve the city's aesthetic landscape.

Phase 1 of the metro project outlines three corridors that traverse Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula. One of these corridors, running along Madhya Marg within Chandigarh's heritage sectors (1 to 30), will be entirely underground.

In contrast, the other two corridors in Phase 1 will feature mostly elevated sections with some underground segments. Phase 2, focused on Mohali and Panchkula, is slated to consist of elevated tracks.

Regarding project funding, it was agreed that 20 per cent would be contributed by the states (Haryana and Punjab), 20 per cent by the centre and the remaining 60 per cent would be financed via loan from a lending agency.

The estimated cost of the Metro project is approximately Rs 10,570 crore.

In the first phase — scheduled to be developed between 2027 and 2037 — the corridor will run from Sarangpur to Panchkula inter-state bus terminal (ISBT), Rock Garden to Zirakpur ISBT via Mohali Industrial Area and airport, and from Grain Market Chowk, Sector-39, to Transport Nagar, Sector-26.

The second phase — which will be developed after 2037 — will cover four routes: Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Extension; Paraul, New Chandigarh to Sarangpur; Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar; and Zirakpur ISBT to Pinjore ISBT.