VIJAYAWADA: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has finalised the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Vijayawada Metro Rail, much ahead of the April 30 deadline, and it is likely to be submitted to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu anytime after April 10.
The DPR is expected to be cleared by April 20 if Naidu decides to make any changes to it. “We are ready with the DPR. As the state government is our client, we shall submit it to the chief minister,” a DMRC official said.
When the DPR is cleared and tenders are called, DMRC, which works under the Union urban development ministry, would also bid for the project along with others. Or the government could finalise DMRC as a single tender company since it is owned by the Union government. “The chief minister has faith in the capability of the DMRC in executing the project. That is why former MD of DMRC E Sreedharan has been appointed principal advisor to the government on metro rail projects in September last year,” the DMRC offical said.
The DMRC has estimated that the project would cost Rs 5,500 crore and take four years for its execution. This is at the rate of Rs 220 crore per km and if the DMRC is given the contract, it would execute the work on a turnkey basis. “It would cost Rs 220 crore per km because we not only lay the tracks but do everything including traction, the bridges and 132kv power supply, trunk circuiting equipment for ensuring safety, telecommunication equipment, coaches and so on,” the official said.
The DPR envisages two corridors from the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS), one up to Penamaluru over MG Road and the other till Nidamanuru over Eluru Road.
Corridor I has the following stations: PNBS, Victoria Jubilee Museum, Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium, DV Manor Centre, Benz Circle, Autonagar Gate, Ravindra Bharathi School, Siddhartha Law College, Tadigadapa, Poranki and Penamaluru. The distance is about 12.2 km.
Corridor II has the following stations: PNBS, Railway Station South Booking Office, Railway Station East (Government Railway SP’s office), Besant Road, Kotha Vanthena, SRR College, City Cancer Hospital, Gunadala, Ramavarappadu Ring, Prasadampadu, Ramakrishna Weigh Bridge, Enikepadu and Nidamanuru.
The maintenance depot for coaches that move on both the arms would be set up at Nidamnuru only. The distance is about 12.7 km.
There would be no metro rail connectivity to MG Road corridor from Eluru Road corridor via Ring Road from Ramavarappadu to Benz Cirlce.
According to the DMRC official, all stations would be 20 m wide and 140 m long. The main station at the PNBS, which will come up outside the PNBS on the National Highway, will be 35 m wide and 140 m long. It would be a five-storey building with multi-level parking and subways to manage traffic. Corridor I would be over the National Highway till Raghavaiah Park where it crosses Bandar Canal and from then on move on the MG Road.
Corridor II would be touching ‘Trisakthi Peetham’ at PNBS, RTC maintenance depot, cross Bandar Canal, fire station, police control room, cross Eluru Canal, Caltex Road, Railway Station, Alankar Talkies, Besant Road and from there it would move on Eluru road.