Patna: Urban development and housing minister, Nitin Nabin, on Wednesday inspected the priority corridor of the Patna Metro Rail project.
The priority corridor is the 6.49-km long elevated section of Corridor-II (Patna Junction-Inter-State Bus Terminal), which comprises five stations—Malahi Pakri, Khemnichak, Bhoothnath, Zero Mile, and ISBT. The total length of Corridor-II is 14.5 km.
During his visit to the site, the minister issued important instructions to the officials of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the nodal agency of the ambitious project, and asked them to expedite the ongoing work. He also expressed satisfaction over substantial progress of the work. "The civil work along the priority corridor connecting Malahi Pakri to New ISBT is complete," Nabin said.
He said, "The subsequent phases involve track installation and procurement of trains. The electrical and telecommunication signalling work is set to begin shortly. The project aims to commence metro operations for Patna's residents by August 2025. This development will enable residents to travel from Malahi Pakri to Bairiya's bus stand within 15 minutes."
The minister said that the metro service would ease traffic congestion on Patna's roads while improving public transportation for residents. Nabin also conducted an inspection of the Patna Metro depot near the ISBT at Bariya Chak.
Talking to reporters, he said the depot would facilitate washing and maintenance operations. "Furthermore, it would house the control system, establishing it as the operational centre of the Patna Metro. The administrative building will accommodate the control system, management system, security facilities, and a training centre. The depot will also feature a test track for conducting metro trials," Nabin said.
Of the 14.5 km of Corridor-II, 8.08 km will have an underground network, passing through Rajendra Nagar, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna University, PMCH, Gandhi Maidan, Akashvani, and Patna Junction. These places will also have stations.
The joint secretary of the department, Varsha Singh, accompanied the minister during the inspection along with the DRMC officials.
The estimated cost of the Patna metro project is Rs 13,925.5 crore. While 20% of the project cost will be borne by the state govt, 20% by the Centre, and the remaining 60% will be borrowed as a loan from JICA.