MoHUA Secretary urges Uttar Pradesh to expand second phase of Metro

The Union Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs, Durga Shankar Mishra recently urged Uttar Pradesh state government to consider building the second phase of its Metro corridorto improve commutation in the city. Mishra who is also the chairman of UP Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) said,"We should focus on multi-modal integration of transportation along with last-mile connectivity to make metro service more comfortable and convenient for people. Ease of living is the only objective of all the plans and policies of the central government."

"While serving people, our prime focus should be on making Metro the preferred mode of travel. While Kanpur Metro will help in decongesting the city traffic and bringing down pollution level which in turn is enabling to bring back the glory of the industrial city, it is important for the state government to consider construction of the second (east-west) corridor in the city, which will improve commutation in the city. I have urged the state government to expand their metro network to second phase."

Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) prepared a detailed project report of the second corridor around 2011. The east-west corridor is expected to have 11 stations connecting Vasant Kunj to Charbagh cutting through heavily congested Old Lucknow areas.

UP chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari said on the ocassion, "We have urged the central government for a better financial model for the Metro project along with better terms and conditions."

He further added that Lucknow Metro has achieved a new benchmark in punctuality, safety, comfort and passenger service. He further  emphasized that the DPR of Gorakhpur Metrolite has already been approved by the state government and has been sent to public investment board (PIB) for approval. Many other cities, like Varanasi, will soon benefit from Metro.

"We should focus on multi-modal integration of transportation along with last-mile connectivity to make metro service more comfortable and convenient for people. Ease of living is the only objective of all the plans and policies of the central government," said Mishra, who is also the chairman of the UP Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC).

"While serving people, our prime focus should be on making Metro the preferred mode of travel. Kanpur Metro will help in decongestion and bring down pollution level which will bring back the glory of the industrial city. To improve mobility in Lucknow, which is evolving rapidly, I have urged the state government to consider construction of the second (east-west) corridor in the city."

The detailed project report of the second corridor was prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) around 2011 but it never saw the light of the day. The east-west corridor is expected to have 11 stations connecting Vasant Kunj to Charbagh via heavily congested Old Lucknow areas.

UP chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari said, "We have urged the central government for a better financial model for the Metro project along with better terms and conditions."

"Lucknow Metro has achieved a new benchmark in punctuality, safety, comfort and passenger service. The DPR of Gorakhpur Metrolite has already been approved by the state government and has been sent to public investment board (PIB) for approval. Many other cities, like Varanasi, will soon benefit from Metro," he added.

By next year, Kanpur Metro priority corridor is expected to start commercial operations, while construction work of Agra Metro is underway.