Running Three Years Behind Schedule, Only 5 Per Cent Work Completed On 32 Km Patna Metro

The Patna Metro project is running behind schedule with only 5 per cent work completed till 31 January 2023, as per the data submitted by the Union government in the ongoing session of Parliament.

The government of India had sanctioned Patna Metro Rail project in February, 2019 with a project completion period of five years from the date of approval.

The Bihar government has constituted Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRC) as the implementing agency for Patna Metro. PMRC has entered into an agreement with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) for execution of the project in September 2019.

Metro Network

The project envisages construction of two corridors namely Danapur to Khemnichak and Patna Junction to New ISBT with a total length of 32 km and 24 stations.

The 17.94-km-long West-East corridor (Corridor 1) will operate between Danapur and Khemnichak.

It will have 14 stations, namely, Danapur Cantonment, Saguna More, RPS More, Patliputra, Rukanpura, Raja Bazar, Patna Zoo, Vikas Bhawan, Vidyut Bhawan, Patna Junction, Mithapur, Ramakrishna Nagar, Jaganpura and Khemnichak.

The North-South corridor with a length of 14.5 km connects Patna Junction with New ISBT. It includes 6.6 km elevated priority corridor and 7.9 km underground stretch.

The elevated priority corridor will have five metro stations, namely, Malahi Pakri, Khemnichak, Bhoothnath, Zero Mile and Patliputra Bus Terminal (New ISBT).

The underground section will run between Frazer Road to Rajendra Nagar, consisting of seven underground stations — Patna Junction, Akashvani, Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, Patna University, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium and Rajendra Nagar.

Patna Junction and Khemnichak will be the interchangeable station between the two corridors and will have two platforms at the same level.             

Single Depot

There will be only one depot for the entire Patna Metro, to be built at SH-1, Bairiya Chak in Sampatchak at Paijawa, near the New ISBT.

The proposed deadline for the completion of metro depot is March 2025 along with the priority corridor.

ISBT depot is proposed to be constructed in a total area of 30.5 hectares, out of which 19.2 hectares are dedicated to the depot and rest for property development.

Status

The foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 February 2019 and the ground work on the project commenced on 23 September 2020.

While DMRC has already awarded several civil tenders for both the corridors, the primary target is to operationalise the priority corridor by 2025. The underground section of Corridor 2 will be completed by 2026.

A total of 30 per cent civil works have been completed on the priority corridor. The civil work on priority corridor is to get ready by last quarter of 2024, after which electrical and rolling stock work will start. 

According to PMRC, the entire project is likely to be completed in February 2027.