J&K Metro project is likely to be completed by the end of 2024

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Srinagar, India (Metro Rail Today): On October14,2021, Hardeep Singh Puri (Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, MoHUA) said that the metro rail project in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) would be approved by next week. Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir government has submitted a final Detailed Project Reports (DPR) of Rs. 10,599 crores for the metro rail projects in Jammu and Srinagar the MoHUA for approval on 19th September 2021.

It is expected that the project will be completed by December 2024. Earlier, the MoHUA has researched the passengers per hour per direction feasibility of the Light Rail Metro system given the economic viability. Following this, RITES Ltd shared a revised DPR and recommended Metro lite instead of Light Rail Metro, costing Rs. 10,599 crores. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide funding for these projects, including Rs. 5,734 crores for Srinagar and Rs. 4,825 crores for Jammu.

Srinagar and Jammu will become the first two non-major cities in India to functional the rapid transport network after its completion. As per the given report, Jammu Light Metro will operate 17 hours a day round the year, while Srinagar Light Metro will operate daily during summers and 14 hours during winters.

The metro rail lines will have only elevated corridors as the underground tunnels are not found feasible. The coaches of the Metro lite system will be modern, lightweight, and made from stainless steel and aluminium with an air-conditioning system, as per the DPRs. The Jammu Light Rail System will have a 23 KMs length with 22 stations between Bantalab and Bari Brahmana. In contrast, the Srinagar light rail system will have a 25 KMs length that includes a 12.5 KMs length from Indira Nagar to HMT Junction and a 12.5 KMs length from Hazuri Bagh Osmanabad with 24 stations (12 stations on each corridor).