Gujarat: Gandhinagar And GIFT City Link In Focus As Phase II Ahmedabad Metro Trials Kick Off

On Friday (23 February), the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) started trial runs for Phase II of the Ahmedabad metro, which will connect GIFT City with both Ahmedabad and the state capital, Gandhinagar.

Trials commenced on a small stretch between GNLU station and Dholakuva, with plans to extend them to GIFT City in the upcoming days, as told by a GMRC spokesperson.

GMRC officials utilised a crane to lift a metro train onto the viaduct for the trials, given that the section between GNLU and Motera is not yet ready for trials.

Phase - II

The 28.25-km second phase is the expansion of the first phase of Ahmedabad metro and has 22 stations.

It commences at the Narendra Modi cricket stadium at Motera, the endpoint of Phase I, and extends northward for 22.80 kilometres, terminating at Mahatma Mandir (venue of Vibrant Gujarat summit) in Gandhinagar.

At the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) metro station, the line diverges eastward, facilitating connectivity to GIFT City across the Sabarmati River. Spanning 5.42 kilometres, this segment features two stations: Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) and GIFT City.

Unlike Phase I, which included underground sections, Phase II solely comprises elevated corridors, with an estimated completion cost of Rs 5,384 crore.

The Union government sanctioned the Phase 2 project in February 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying its foundation stone on 4 March 2019. Construction commenced in February 2021, and the entire Phase II is slated for commercial operation by June of this year.