Metro project takes next step with start of work at precasting facility

Bhubaneswar: After successful soil testing, the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has taken steps for accelerating implementation of the Metro project by commencing operations at its precasting workshop and coach maintenance depot.
The facility is manufacturing precast structures for pillars and columns, which will significantly speed up construction along the 26-km-long elevated Metro corridor. The route, connecting Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar to Trisulia in Cuttack, will feature 20 stations.
"The prefabrication approach will reduce on-site construction time and ensure better quality control. The strategic establishment of these facilities marks a crucial milestone in fast-tracking the project while maintaining construction efficiency and quality standards," said in-charge CEO of BMRCL, Kalyan Patnaik. He said that after precasting and laying works are completed, there will be a new tender floated for electrical, electronics, mechanical, track making, escalator installation, among others. "We will procure 13 trains with each having three coaches. More trains may be required in the future," Patnaik added.
BMRCL officials said it will take 45 minutes to travel from Trisulia to the airport, but the exact interval between trains to reach a station is yet to be calculated. Alongside, the coach depot is being readied so that by the time the Metro rail runs, it can be operationalised. The ambitious project is set for completion in Dec 2027, officials said.
The Metro train along the route from Jayadev Vihar to Nandankanan is expected to reduce vehicular rush on the busy stretch to a considerable extent. Commuters who shuttle daily between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar will be able to reach the twin city centres in just 30 minutes, the railway station in 35 minutes, and the airport in 45 minutes.
During soil testing, the digging machines went up to a depth of 60 ft to get an accurate result. The columns will be 13-ft high, and they will go down to a considerable depth to withstand the track weight. Bhubaneswar falls under a seismic zone and is cyclone-prone as well. So, with a futuristic approach and an eye on disaster-resilient structure, all precautions are being taken, BMRCL sources said.
While the Metro will significantly decongest roads in the capital city, the budgetary provision of Rs 13,000 crore to ease traffic flow by constructing new roads and flyovers will be also beneficial. As a part of the transformative re-development plan to modernise key infrastructure, the outer ring road of Bhubaneswar and other critical projects costing more than Rs 13,000 crore would be taken up, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi had said in his budget speech.