PM Narendra Modi flags off inaugural run of A'bad Metro; service to become operational for citizens from March 6
Ahmedabad's much-awaited dream of having a Metro rail became a reality when prime minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first phase of Ahmedabad Metro Rail project on Monday. The service will become operational for citizens from March 6.
Ahmedabad became the 11th city in the country to have a Metro rail when Modi flagged off the train at Vastral Gam station. He, along with governor OP Kohli, chief minister Vijay Rupani, union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, and some school children, took a ride in the inaugural run of the Metro train from Vastral Gam station to Nirant crossroad station.
Earlier, he unveiled the Common Mobility Card of Ahmedabad Metro and laid the foundation stone of Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad Metro project, which will connect the city with State Capital Gandhinagar. He also inaugurated the automatic fare collection gate.
IP Gautam, managing director of Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation, which is executing the Metro rail project, said the priority reach of Ahmedabad Metro - the 6.5 km stretch from Vastral Gam to Apparel Park - would be opened for public from March 6.
"Today is a big day for Ahmedabad as Metro Rail has become operational. It will give a boost to connectivity, and reduce travel time," he said.
The stretch is a part of the 20.74 km East-West corridor, which will extend from Vastral Gam to Thaltej. Work on the East-West corridor, as well as the 18.52 km North-South corridor from APMC to Motera Stadium, would be completed by December 2020, chief minister Vijay Rupani had said recently.
Of the total 39.26 km length of the two Metro corridors, 6.5 km stretch between Kalupur station and Shahpur station is underground.
The cost of Phase 1 is estimated at Rs 10,773 crore, of which the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided Rs 5,360 crore. The central and state government have contributed Rs 1,990 crore for the project.
Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad Metro project, to be developed at a cost of Rs 6,769 crore, was approved by the union cabinet last month. It will comprise two corridors, one 22.84 km stretch from Motera stadium to Mahatma Mandir, and the second 5.42 km corridor from Gujarat National Law University to GIFT City. Twenty-two stations will be built on the elevated corridors.
The Opposition Congress alleged that work on some Metro stations on the priority reach, viz. Rabari Colony, Amraiwadi, and others were yet to be completed and would take further 6-8 months.
"The inaugural run was held today to mislead people ahead of the imposition of Code of Conduct before the Lok Sabha elections," state Congress president Manish Doshi, alleged.
(People throng their terraces to watch the maiden run of the train)
Metro’s minimum fare fixed at Rs 5
The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation said that the Metro fare would be minimum Rs 5 for the first 2.5 km, and Rs 10 for 2.5-7.5 km distance. As per the formula, the fare from Vastral gam station to Apparel Park station would work out at Rs 10. GMRC said in a release that the proposed fare from Vastral Gam to Thaltej Gam would be Rs 25 when the entire stretch becomes operational. The regular services of Metro rail on the priority reach from Vastral Gam station to Apparel Park station will begin at 10:00 am on Wednesday, it added.
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