Madhya Pradesh government is planning to launch rapid rail, faster than the Metro trains, in a bid to improve intra-state connectivity. MP Urban Development Minister Jaivardhan Singh told reporters the plan was to run rapid rail between Indore- Ujjain, Indore-Pithampur and Indore-Dewas. The detailed project is being developed in coordination with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). DMRC has been asked to carry out a feasibility study.
"We have asked DMRC to study its feasibility," PTI quoted Jaivardhan Singh as saying.
"We are going to plan a metropolitan area involving Bhopal and Indore as both cities are expanding rapidly. It is important areas around these two major cities are developed into satellite townships," he further said.
Singh informed that the first tranche of metro rail funds for the state has been sanctioned and would be received by next month.
He said the draft for this plan has been charted out and final talks were underway with the rural development department since some of the areas are rural pockets.
The minister said 350 electric buses would be run after phasing out diesel ones in a phased manner in the state.
Forty electric buses have been introduced in Indore, and they would also be run in Bhopal, Gwalior and Ujjain.
He said women-driven autorickshaws would also be introduced in the state.
Bhopal, Indore metro to be operational by 2023
The first phase of the metro rail network in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and Indore will be operational by the beginning of 2023. Two corridors of 27.87 km will be built under Bhopal metro rail project. These corridors will be from Karond Circle to AIIMS (14.99 km) and Bhadbhada Square to Ratnagiri Tiraha (12.88 km). The two corridors would cost ₹7,000 crore.
He informed that Indore line will be a 31.55 km-long 'Ring Line' connecting Bengali Square-Vijay Nagar-Bhawarsala-Airport-Palasia-Bengali Square and will cost ₹7,500 crore.
-With Agency inputs
