Vizag Metro Project May Kick-Start In Oct; Revised Cost Put At Rs 11,498 Cr

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh Government is gearing up to kick-start the long awaited metro rail project in Visakhapatnam, identified as a growth hub by NITI Aayog along with three other cities as part of a pilot project, sometime in October.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his recent visit to New Delhi lobbied for approval to the ambitious project to improve connectivity in the State's largest industrial and cosmopolitan city. Visakhapatnam is described as the ninth richest city in India with a GDP of $43.5 billion. The revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the plea for 100 per cent funding made by the State Government due to its precarious financial position is pending before the Centre. As per the revised DPR, the cost of the project is put at Rs.11,498 crore.

The first phase of the project in the city with a population of two million plus will have three corridors over a stretch of 46.23 km, with 42 metro stations.

The Bhogapuram International Airport, located 45 km from the city, will be connected with metro rail in the second phase. A VMRDA official told Bizz Buzz that this time, the government wants to set clear timelines to complete the metro rail project in view of increasing traffic in the city and the insistence by NITI Aayog for a Comprehensive Mobility Plan.

Though the project was originally conceived in 2014, it has hit the roadblock during various factors. The authorities have already issued land acquisition notification for 99 acres. Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (APMRCL) is scheduled to finalise a project consultant by June 9 as it is in the process finalising the bids after inviting requests for proposals. Though the metro rail for Vijayawada is also pending, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana during a review meeting here indicated that the work on the Visakhapatnam project will be launched in October.

This assumes importance as the GMR Group is getting ready to make the Bhogapuram International Airport operational by June, 2026, six months ahead of schedule due to a request made by the Chief Minister. The cost for the first phase is estimated at Rs4,500 crore.

Naidu has already submitted a formal request to the Government of India for 100 per cent funding leveraging its alliance with the BJP-led NDA and his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As Modi is visiting Visakhapatnam as the chief guest at the month-long celebration of International Day of Yoga on June 21, the decision may again figure in his meeting with Naidu.