Centre Gives In-Principle Nod To Shimla Urban Ropeway Project

The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the Ministry of Finance has given in-principle approval for an innovative urban transport ropeway project worth Rs 1,546.4 crore for Shimla city.

Thanking the Centre for approving the project, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state government had been pursuing this project since long for decongestion of Shimla city.

Background

Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, has a population of about 3.08 lakh with annual tourist influx of around 40 lakh.

The city has narrow roads with heavy settlement, causing traffic snarls.

The problem further compounds during the tourist season when thousands of tourist vehicles reach Shimla daily causing huge traffic jams.

Due to geographical and geo-technical limitations, it is not possible to construct bus rapid transit system (BRTS), monorail, metro in the city.

A ropeway, thus, is the only viable solution to provide urban transport.

The Chief Minister said that this project would be a game changer with tourists parking their vehicles at the entry point of Shimla and boarding the ropeway network.

Significant Features

• Network length of 14.69 km having 15 boarding and de-boarding stations.

• To start from Taradevi and would have a combination of smart parking, lifts and escalators integrated with existing transport networks.

• To be completed by Ropeway and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation (RTDC) in five years.

• Fare to be charged at par with conventional transportation to motivate local populace to travel on the ropeway network instead of using personal vehicles.

• Project posed to the New Development Bank (NDB) for bilateral funding.

• Eco-friendly mode of transportation as the project will be carbon neutral.

Projects In The Pipeline  

The state government aims to decongest major urban hubs in the state such as Dharamshala and Manali by devising innovative transport solutions.

The Chief Minister said that after implementing the Shimla project, this alternative ropeway transport system would also be developed in Dharamshala and Manali.