Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad

Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad
Overview
Native name Gujarati: મેટ્રોલિંક એક્સપ્રેસ ફોર ગાંધીનગર એન્ડ અમદાવાદ (મેગા)
Owner Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA)
Area served Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Transit type Metro
Number of lines 4
Number of stations 32
Daily ridership 2 million (projected, 2020)
Chief executive Shri. Durga Shankar Mishra, IAS- Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Chairman)
Headquarters Block No.1, First Floor, Karmayogi Bhavan, Sector 10/A, Gandhinagar-382010[1]
Website www.gujaratmetrorail.com
Operation
Operation will start 2020
Technical
System length 39.259 km (24.394 mi)[2]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Standard gauge[3]
Electrification 750 V DC Third rail
Average speed 33 km/h (21 mph) E/W Line
32 km/h (20 mph) N/S Line
Top speed 80 km/h (50 mph)

Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, abbreviated MEGA, or Ahmedabad Metro is an under construction mass-transit rail system for the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. The special purpose vehicle company was established in February 2010 and the Phase–1 of the project was approved in October 2014. Construction started on 14 March 2015,[4][5][6] and Phase I is expected to be complete by 2020.[7]

History

In 2003, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board carried out the study for urban transport between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. It also carried out the detailed project report through Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and RITES and submitted it in June 2005 and received Central Government's approval in the same year.[8][9] Following the estimated cost of ₹ 4295 crores and the study of the viability of the project, it was abandoned in 2005 to give priority to the Ahmedabad BRTS and suburban railway projects. In 2008, considering the future developments in and around Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the project was revived and new corridors were designed to make the project viable.

The special purpose vehicle company, Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) Company Ltd, was established by Government of Gujarat on 4 February 2010 with Rs 200 crore. Later in 2014, it was decided that the Central Government will own 50% of the company.[10][11]

Ahmedabad Metro under construction near Sabarmati Tollnaka in August 2018

On 19 October 2014, Union Cabinet of India approved ₹ 10,773 Crores for the Phase–1.[11] The Central government approved use of unused Western Railways land along the Botad- Sabarmati meter gauge line in November 2014.[12] The original plan of Metro along Ashram Road was tweaked and the track was moved westward. The new plan added cost of ₹ 500 crore and two more stations. It helped by fewer problems in land acquisition and less congestion on Ashram Road. In 2015 budget of Gujarat, ₹ 611 crore was further allocated for the metro. The ground breaking ceremony was held on 14 March 2015 for the construction of 6 km long Vastral – Apparel Park stretch of East-West corridor in presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel. The ground-breaking ceremony for North-South Corridor was held on 17 January 2016 in presence of the then Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. The work started in March 2016.[13][14] The Indian Railways permitted the construction of North-South corridor stretch on its land in June 2016.[15]

Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) agreed to fund ₹ 5968 Crores for Phase-1 of the project in November 2015 and the first trench of ₹ 4456 Crores was released in 2016.[16]

The Government of Gujarat gave approval for Phase-2 of project in October 2017 which is expected to cost ₹ 6,758 crore. It will extend from Motera to Mahatma Mandir with separate line from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) to GIFT City. The Phase-2 will have total 34.6km long elevated corridor with 24 stations.[17]

Lines

Network information
  • Total Length: 39.259 km
    • North-South corridor: 18.522 km
    • East-West corridor: 20.737 km
  • Lines:
    • Elevated: 32.924 km
    • Underground: 6.335 km
North-South Line
 Motera stadium
 Sabarmati
 AEC
 Sabarmati railway station
 Ranip
 Vadaj
 Vijay Nagar
 Usmanpura
 Old High Court Interchange
 Gandhigram
 Paldi
 Shreyas
 Rajiv Nagar
 Jivraj Park
 APMC
 Gyaspur (depot)
East-West Line
 Thaltej Gam
 Thaltej
 Doordarshan Kendra
 Gurukul Road
 Gujarat University
 Commerce Six Roads
 Stadium
 Old High Court Interchange
 Shahpur
 Gheekanta
 Kalupur railway station
 Kankaria East
 Apparel Park (depot)
 Amraiwadi
 Rabari Colony
 Vastral
 Nirant Cross Roads
 Vastral Gam

Construction contracts

Sl No.ContractContractor
1General ConsultancySystra-RITES-Oriental-AECOM
296 coaches (Rolling Stock)Hyundai Rotem
3Signalling SystemNippon Signal Co. Ltd, Japan
4Apparel Park DepotURC Construction
5Gyaspur DepotGannon Dunkerly - PSPO JV
6Vastral Gam - Apparel Park (Viaduct - 6km)J Kumar Infraprojects
7Vastral Gam - Apparel Park (6 Stations)DRA - CICO JV
8East Ramp - Kalupur (Tunnels & 2 Stations - 2.45km)Afcons Infrastructure
9Kalupur - West Ramp (Tunnels & 2 Stations - 4.38km)Larsen& Toubro
10Thaltej Gam - West Ramp (Viaduct & 7 Stations - 8.21 km)Tata Projects - CRCC JV
11Gyspur - Shreyas (Viaduct & 4 Stations - 4.62km)IL&FS Engineering
12Shreyas - Ranip (Viaduct & 6 Stations -8.94km)Simplex Infrastructure
13Motera - Ranip (Viaduct - 4.85km)Ranjit Buildcon
14Motera - Ranip (5 Stations)Pratibha - Ranjit JV
15 Shreyas to Ranip

(Viaduct & 6 stations – 8.94 km)

 Simplex Infrastructure
16 Kalupur to West Ramp

(Tunnels & 2 stations – 4.38 km)

 Larsen & Toubro
17 Thaltej Gam to West Ramp

(Viaduct, Sabarmati Bridge & 7 stations – 8.21 km)

 Tata – CCECC JV
18 Electrification Siemens India - Siemens AG, Germany

Controversy

Near Thaltej Gam on western side, 300-odd shop owners opposed the land acquisition while the officials said that there is need of huge land for depot and parking for the project.[18] The land acquisition is also opposed by the residents and shop owners of Jivraj Park, Vejalpur area. They had filed a case in Gujarat High Court.[19][20] They settled the case in September 2017.[21] Former IAS officer and executive chairman of project Sanjay Gupta and seven of his subordinate officers were accused while two of them were arrested in May 2015 for alleged committed fraud of ₹ 113 crore in procurement and use of ground filling materials for the project in 2012. Another case regarding procurement of 603 tons of TMT steel worth ₹ 2.62 crore which was never delivered is also being investigated.[22][23][24][25]

The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out wasteful expenditure of ₹ 373.62 crore on earlier unapproved corridors.[26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us - MEGA". gujaratmetrorail.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Mega. "MEGA Map 2014". MEGA.
  3. ↑ IRJ (1 February 2014). "Ahmedabad launches metro train tender". IRJ.
  4. ↑ DeshGujarat (14 March 2015). "First 6 km works of Ahmedabad Metro to complete by September 2016:CM". DeshGujarat. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  5. ↑ India (5 February 2015). "Mumbai-based firm wins bid for Ahmedabad metro construction". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  6. ↑ DeshGujarat (22 October 2014). "MEGA invites tender for Vastral-Apparel Park stretch of Ahmedabad METRO Rail project". DeshGujarat. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  7. ↑ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/japan-international-cooperation-agency-extends-rs-4870-crore-assistance-for-ahmedabad-metro-project/articleshow/51255862.cms
  8. ↑ http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_from-2015-ride-metro-from-ahmedabad-to-gandhinagar_1746745
  9. ↑ "Ahmedabad metro rail project put on fast track". Business-standard.com. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
  10. ↑ "New firm to speed up Metro in Ahmedabad". dnaindia.com. 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
  11. 1 2 "Ahemedabad Metro project gets green signal". The Times of India. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-18.
  12. ↑ India (5 November 2014). "Modi government clears Railway land for Ahmedabad metro project". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  13. ↑ "MEGA Invites Bids for Ahmedabad Metro's 6.83 km Underground Section - The Metro Rail Guy". Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  14. ↑ "IL&FS; Engineering Services Bags Rs. 374.64 Cr Metro Rail Contract in Gujarat". The Hans India. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "Railways green-lights north-south Metro work in Ahmedabad". The Times of India. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  16. ↑ Bureau, Our (27 November 2015). "Ahmedabad Metro Phase 1 gets ₹5,968-crore Japanese funding". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  17. ↑ "Gujarat nod for Rs 6,758crore Metro Phase II". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
  18. ↑ "Tenders issued for Metro construction - TOI Mobile". The Times of India Mobile Site. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  19. ↑ "Ahmedabad metro project: MEGA offers relocation option to residents". ETRealty.com. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "Metro rail project: Residents of Vejalpur junk relocation offer". The Indian Express. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Metro project clears hurdle in land acquisition". The Times of India. 2017-09-03. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  22. ↑ Sports (2015-05-15). "Ahmedabad metro: Top officer held for 'fraud'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
  23. ↑ TNN (20 May 2015). "Executive chairman of Metrolink Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad seeks ban on media coverage". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  24. ↑ India (8 December 2015). "Former IAS officer involved in Ahmedabad metro scam released on bail". The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Metro rail scam: Ex-IAS officer Sanjay Gupta gets bail". The Times of India. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  26. ↑ "CAG finds ₹373-cr 'infructuous spend' in Ahmedabad Metro". The Hindu Business Line. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.

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