Futuristic Ajni station, bus terminal with 140 bays, connection to Metro station planned in IMS Phase I

Nagpur: The Ajni intra-modal station (IMS) project will be executed in several phases with only the integration of Metro, rail and bus services taking place in the first phase. Commercial development and expansion of IMS will be done at a later date.
The union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) had recently sanctioned Rs1,200 crore for the project. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will float tender for IMS phase I in the coming eight to ten days. Its bhoomi puja will be done by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis soon.

The project will be executed using government funds instead of private investment as envisaged earlier. This phase will require 55 acres land belonging to Central Railway (CR) and its cost would be approximately Rs1,240 crore. CR will retain 154 acres for its operations. Railways’ logistics subsidiary Concor will also retain its inland container depot (ICD).

A NHAI official said that Ajni railway station presently has three platforms. “We will build four more platforms. Ajni railway station building will be demolished and a new one with a futuristic look will be built. Many trains will stop at Ajni instead of the main station. This will reduce the load there,” he added.

A bus terminal with 140 bays will be built as a part of the IMS which will be connected to Congress Nagar Metro station. Passengers can directly reach the airport from IMS using the Metro. NHAI will build a concourse building which will have the bus terminal, two-level parking, hotels and shops.

There are several designs for this building and the best one will be chosen later. This will come up behind Ajni station. The parking will have space to park 900 cars. There will be three foot overbridges and one will link the concourse building with the Metro station.

“The Ganeshpeth central bus station is also overloaded and our bus stand will reduce load on it. We expect most long distance buses, government as well as private, to use the IMS. Ditto with city buses,” said the official.

NHAI will build a four-lane railway overbridge (ROB) to the south of existing Ajni ROB. Central Jail land is required for the bridge but no communication has been received from state government for transfer of land. A source in union transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s office said that transfer process was in advanced stages.

The project also envisages widening of existing roads. Wardha Road and the road linking Ajni ROB with Medical Square should have six lanes. The road linking Congress Nagar Square with Rahate Colony Square should be widened to four lane.

The official said that the total project required was 490 acres and the cost was Rs2,277 crores. In the second phase a central business district (CBD) spread over 117 acres will come up on Central Jail land. The second CBD spread over 237 acres will come up on CR land next. CBDs will be constructed on built operate and transfer (BOT) basis with private help. IMS expansion will be done when the first IMS becomes overburdened. It will come up on 48 jail land.

Initially, only 55 acre railway and some jail land will be required. However, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns, entire jail land, medical colony, irrigation colony, more railway land will be needed. Some land belonging to National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) will be required for an underpass. All of it is government land.

As per the detailed project report (DPR), the project will be executed by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of NHAI and CR. NHAI will pump in Rs1,187 crore (about 52% share) while CR will provide 55 acre land costing Rs1,090 crore (about 48%). Revenue will be shared in this proportion. However, as the cost of the project has increased slightly, NHAI’s share will increase.