Punjab And Haryana Suggest Additional Routes For MRTS In Tricity's Mobility Plan, Total Cost To Increase By 56 Per Cent

The comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) proposed for the Tricity– Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, was approved with some suggested additions by the Punjab and Haryana governments.

Both state authorities have recommended some changes for the metro transit system as part of the Tricity’s CMP — which were discussed at the meeting held on Wednesday in Chandigarh, chaired by Dharam Pal, the adviser to the Chandigarh Administrator.

This development has come in a month after Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab accorded in-principle approval to the CMP prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES).

Following the incorporation of recommendations from the Punjab and Haryana authorities, the cost for the implementation of the CMP has gone up by around Rs 6,000 crore — a 56 per cent increase from the original cost, as per a Times of India report.

According to the previous report prepared by RITES in March 2023, the original cost was set at Rs 10,571 crore, while the estimated cost for the plan has now reached Rs 16,509 crore.

Suggested Additions To The Mobility Plan

During the meeting, the Punjab principal secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Ajoy Kumar Sinha, suggested a new Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) route connecting NH-64/PR-7 junction to Rajpura under Phase-2 of the project.  

The principal secretary further suggested to include the route between Paraul (New Chandigarh) to Sarangpur (Chandigarh) route Phase-1 of the MRTS.

Additionally, the director of the Haryana Mass Rapid Transit Corporation suggested that the corridor from Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk (ISBT, Panchkula) to Panchkula extension could be included in Phase-1 rather than Phase-2.  

He further recommended to modify the MRTS corridor for connecting Sector-20, Panchkula.

The MRTS network now has been expanded from 48 km to 66 km, as per the TOI report.

This updated report is expected to be submitted for approval by the Centre within one week.

Additionally, RITES will initiate work on the preparation of the alternatives analysis report and the detailed project report (DPR) for MRTS in the Tricity.

The MRTS For The Tricity

In the earlier meeting held on 16 March 2023, the report by RITES addressed various aspects of CMP, including the vision and objectives, current traffic situation, the future course of action with a citywide integrated multi-modal transport plan, institutional strengthening, and approximate cost estimates.

The agency had put forward a proposal to address traffic congestion in the Tricity by a metro network that would cover Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.

The proposed metro network comprises two corridors.

While the first corridor — from Chandigarh’s Grain Market Chowk to Panchkula — will be 22.5-km long, the second will run from Sector-43 ISBT in Chandigarh to Saneta village in Mohali, with a total length of 16.5 km.

As per an Indian Express report, of the total length to be covered, 14.5 km will be in Chandigarh, 8 km in Panchkula and 25.5 km in Mohali.

In phase-1, the entire 14.5 km stretch in Chandigarh will be completed. In Panchkula, a 3.5 km stretch will be completed in phase-1 and a 4.5 km stretch will be completed in phase-2.

For Mohali, 20 km will be completed in phase-1 and 5.5 km will be completed in phase-2 construction.