Indore, Apr 10 (PTI) The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has given a go-ahead to the Indore Metro Rail project, paving the way for its commercial operations, an official said on Thursday.
“After a detailed inspection, the CMRS has approved the city’s Metro Rail project. The final inspection by the CMRS was conducted last month, during which the project was assessed on various parameters,” the official of Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) said.
In the first phase, commercial operations of the metro rail will be conducted on a 5.90-kilometre-long super priority corridor, he said.
The corridor extends from Gandhi Nagar Station to Station No. 3 on the Super Corridor, encompassing five stations, he added.
The metro stations in the city have been designed to accommodate six-coach trains, the official said.
He, however, said, “Initially, we will operate three-coach trains. If the number of passengers increases, three more coaches can be added.” One metro coach can carry about 300 passengers, including 50 seated ones.
The official said a trial run on the 5.90 km super priority corridor was conducted in September 2023.
However, the official date for the start of commercial operations on this corridor has not been decided yet.
This corridor is located in a newly-developed area of the city with a sparse population. Hence, experts believe that the metro project may face challenges initially in attracting sufficient passengers on the route.
MP Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on April 2 said a passenger demand assessment would be conducted before starting operations on the super priority corridor.
“We don’t want to run the metro at a loss. So we are not rushing into anything,” he added.
The foundation for the first phase of the metro rail project in Indore, with a total cost of Rs 7,500.80 crore, was laid on September 14, 2019.
Under this phase, an approximately 31.50-kilometre-long circular metro corridor is to be constructed in the city. PTI HWP LAL NP
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