New Delhi: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Pune Metro Rail Project today. He also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple developmental projects in Pune.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that while Metro services were available in very few cities till 2014, today more than two dozen cities are either being benefitted by the metro services or are on the verge of getting it. Maharashtra, he said, has quite a significant share of this expansion if we look at Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and Pimpri-Chinchwad Pune.
“This Metro will ease mobility in Pune, give relief from pollution and jams, increase the ease of living of the people of Pune”, the Prime Minister said. He also called upon the people of Pune, specially the well-off people, to make it a habit to use Metro and other public transport.
The Prime Minister said growing urban population is both an opportunity and a challenge. In order to cope with the growing population in our cities, development of mass transit system is the main answer. He listed a vision for the growing cities of the country where government is committed to provide increasingly more green transport, electric buses, electric cars and electric two wheelers. “There should be Integrated Command & Control Center in every city to make the facility smart. Every city should have a modern waste management system to strengthen the circular economy.
There should be enough modern sewage treatment plants to make every city water plus, better arrangements should be made for the conservation of water sources”, the Prime Minister elaborated. He also hoped that such cites will have Gobardhan and biogas plants to create wealth from waste. Energy efficiency measures like use of LED bulb should be the hallmark of these cities. AMRUT mission and RERA laws are bringing new strengths in urban landscape, he said.
PROJECT’s KEY BENEFITS
- Ushering in New Urban Mobility Paradigm: With 12 km section becoming operational today and the remaining 21 km becoming operational by March 2023, the project will be a game changer which will re-boot the urban mobility paradigm of the city with a fast, comfortable, convenient, safe, secured, and affordable mobility solution which will also be inclusive, equitable and sustainable. This will mark a substantial upgrade of the public transport scenario upgrade in the city with an existing public transport share 12% and the highest two-wheeler population in the country and with the daily metro ridership is expected to increase gradually to 6 lakh per day.
- Multi-Modal Integration: A key benefit is the seamless multi-modal integration of metro stations with railway stations, interstate city bus stops, airport, and other high footfall areas like city institutional, industrial, educational and health hubs, shopping, and key recreational units.
- Economic Growth Propellant: Given various commercial complex development along the Metro corridor, economic growth is sure to happen. Maha Metro is already undertaking Property Development project at Swargate, Civil Court, Range Hills, Vanaz and Bhosari for the very purpose.
- Orderly Urbanization: It shall facilitate orderly urbanization and better integrated land use mobility integration in the city whose population is growing fast.
- Reduction in Road Accidents & Fatalities: With more people commuting by metro rail, the city shall witness substantial reduction in road accidents and the resultant fatalities from the current high level.
- Reduction in Pollution: Given more use of Metro, people would use private vehicle to lesser extent. The Modal share of public transport is expected to grow from current 12 to 30 percent and hence the metro rail shall substantially reduce the pollution by reducing the personal vehicles on city roads. Also Multi Modal Integration initiative taken by Maha Metro through Non-Motorised Transport would complement in reducing pollution. This will help in reducing Carbon footprint by approximately by 1 lakh Ton per year.
- Urban Rejuvenation and Creating New City Centre: World class stations designed by international architects with substantial commercial development shall rejuvenate urban spaces and they in themselves will be new growth centers.
- Employment Benefits: The project has given thousands of jobs during construction and will provide similar level of employment (direct/ indirect) during operational phase.
- Leap for Make in India: In a leap for make in India policy, Maha-Metro, through international competitive bidding awarded contract for supply of 102 modern aluminum bodied metro coaches for Pune Metro project to M/s. Titagarh Firema, an Italian subsidiary of M/s Titagarh, a Kolkata based Indian company in the field of railway coaches and wagons. This is the first time that new generation “Aluminum body coaches”, (that are lighter, more energy efficient and have batter aesthetic than steel coaches) shall be manufactured in the country. It is an epoch-making game changer in the field of metro rail in the country. Pune Metro has exceeded the mandatory threshold requirement of Indian contents in all the packages there by strongly supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of Government of India.
DETAILS OF PROJECT
Pune Metro Rail Project was sanctioned by GoI & GoM in December 2016 and the foundation stone was laid by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 24th December 2016. The project work commenced on 3rd May 2017.
Pune Metro Rail Project consists of two corridors, North- South Corridor (Purple line) and East-West Corridor (Aqua line) with a total length of 33.2 km and 30 stations. The length of elevated section is 27.2 km and length of underground section is 6 km. There are 2 maintenance depots, one each at Range Hills and Vanaz. Once fully operational, its services will be run with 34 metro trains in three car train configuration.
