Guj Govt likely to roll out first metro train during Vibrant Summit

Gujarat Government is all set to roll first train of Rs 10, 700 crore Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) project between two metro stations of eastern Ahmedabad during the state flagship biennial event for trade and investment – Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) in January 2019.

If sources in the State urban development department have to be believed, first train under MEGA project would be flagged of by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in presence of international dignitaries.

Even on Wednesday Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced that first metro train would be run in Ahmedabad by the end of January 2019 after he visited on of the MEGA sites in the eastern part of Ahmedabad.

Initially the metro rail would be run between Vastral and Apparel Park covering distance of 6.5 km and six different metro stations, he said adding that construction work for all these stations and tracks would be completed by October this year. Rupani claimed that work for the first phase of MEGA network in Ahmedabad city would be completed by 2019 end. The chief minister said that construction work for metro stations, control and communication room and lying of tracks were going on war footing to meet the deadline. The total length of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-I is about 40 km out of which approximately 6 km is underground and rest is elevated section. The project will connect 4 corners of the Ahmedabad city with 2 corridors and 32 stations.

MEGA was envisaged by former Gujarat Chief Minister and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In order to implement the project a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar & Ahmedabad (MEGA) Company Ltd. was incorporated by Gujarat Government under the Companies Act, 1956.

Initially work for these ambitions Rs 10,773 crore project was very slow but after Modi’s elevation from Gujarat CM to PM of the nation, the MEGA Company was restructured in March 2015 and converted as 50:50 SPV of Government of India and Government of Gujarat. Since then the work for the project has taken some speed. Of the total cost the central and State Governments have invested Rs 1990 crores each. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided a loan of Rs 6,066 crores.