Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro is likely to roll by 2013

If everything goes according to plan, Amdavadis may be commuting by metro rail by the end of 2013. Sources in the state government have indicated that commissioning of work for the first phase of Metro-link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) is likely to start in October and provided the work continues at the same pace, the first phase will be competed in 20 months time.

A meeting of a high-level committee for the MEGA project was held in Gandhinagar on August 9. Top officials from state revenue department, finance department, Gujarat Urban Development Company and Gujarat Industrial Development Board attended the meeting. According to sources, a team of high level officers from urban development department as well as MEGA along with the chief secretary had recently visited the route of MEGA in Ahmedabad city. "Now all the preparations for the project are in the final stage. It is possible that the project may well be launched by October this year," said sources.

Sources further said that the first phase will be from APMC Vasna to Motera Stadium. "The company (MEGA) is ready with the all the planning level preparation. So once the work starts at the ground level, the first phase will be completed in 20 months time," they added.

MEGA has reportedly taken the good characteristics from all the successful metro projects in the world including the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Moreover, the whole metro route will be on overhead or on ground level, and not underground, said the sources.