The state cabinet chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday approved the proposal to construct the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project (BMRC) Phase I from the Biju Patnaik International Airport to Trisulia Square near Cuttack.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will execute the Rs 5,929.38 crore project as a turn-key consultant by charging a fee of Rs 326.56 crore.
A government statement said the first phase will be 26-km-long and will have 20 stations including Capital Hospital, Rajmahal Square, Vani Vihar Square, Jaydev Vihar, Patia among others. The chief minister had approved the detailed project report prepared by DMRC on October 7.
“In order to facilitate comfortable, safer and convenient transportation for the public in Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Cuttack and Puri region, there is need for metro rail system,” the government statement said.
The metro rail tracks and stations will be on elevated viaducts. Ultra-modern coaches, advanced ticketing system and signalling system will be the salient features of the Bhubaneswar Metro.
An official said there is a plan to develop the Cuttack-Puri-Bhubaneswar triangle as a Greater Capital Region metropolitan city, catering to a population of around 50 lakh people. The infrastructure is being planned accordingly. The next phases will cover other parts of Bhubaneswar, Khurda besides Cuttack and Puri. Earlier, the government had sanctioned the metro project under government’s 5T initiative.
The government targets to complete the first phase in four years. The government had earlier said Naveen will lay foundation stone of the Bhubaneswar Metro project on January 1.
Government sources said there is almost no requirement of additional land acquisition for the tracks that will run above the median or on side of the existing roads. The metro train depot will come up at Trisulia.