Rail india proposes Amdavad Local
The next big thing in public transport after BRTS: AC trains connecting key areas in city? Proposal sent to state govt
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 28, 2009 at 02:52:36 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover story) http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20090928200909280252361094164b1f9)
Delhi has a metro and Mumbai is serviced by local trains. Will apnu Amdavad keep pace? Most certainly if a Rs 1,655-crore project to build a local rail network gets government approval.
When that happens, you will be able to hop on to a comfortable and speedy air-conditioned local trains instead of buses and autorickshaws. This is apart from a proposal to have a metro link between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) presented a report on the multi-thousand crore project to the state government for approval on Thursday after verifying it itself. The project was initially conceptualised by the Delhi Metro Board and submitted to the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board in 2005 which later forwarded it to government agency RITES for verification.
Group manager RITES, R P Singh, who along with general manager Bhagat Banga, presented the proposal, said, “The project will be a joint venture between the state government and the railways. The new service is aimed at benefiting short-distance travel in megacity Ahmedabad.”
Sources said the project entails building a regional rail network in the city in three years from the time the state government and the railway ministry approve it. Under the project, key areas in the city will be connected by a network of air-conditioned trains — a luxury version of Mumbai locals.
Sources said two routes have been identified where special tracks will be built for trains. The first, a 43.5 km stretch connecting Barajedi, Kalupur and Kalol, would have stops at Barajedi, Geratpur, Vatva, Maninagar, Kalupur, Sabarmati, Chandkheda, Khodiyar, Saij Sertha Road and Kalol.
The second route is proposed on a 9.4 km stretch connecting Kalupur and Naroda, with halts at Kalupur, Asarva, airport, Saijpur, Sardargram and Naroda.
The two routes see a lot of road traffic at present. Railway sources said about 57 lakh people travelled on the two routes in 2007. A new rail network could speed up travel in the luxury of AC coaches, ease congestion and facilitate better connectivity. The passenger traffic is expected to increase to 101 lakh on the route by 2035.
The project cost, estimated at Rs 1,076 crore in 2004, has now ballooned to Rs 1,655 crore. But the latest proposal makes provision for the cost escalation. It suggests sharing of the cost by the state government and the railway ministry in equal proportion.
The system operation and management can, however, remain with railways. Whatever the arrangement, a new intra-city train service is worth its while for so many who want to ditch two-wheelers and cars but find public transport too slow and inconvenient.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 28, 2009 at 02:52:36 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover story) http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20090928200909280252361094164b1f9)
Delhi has a metro and Mumbai is serviced by local trains. Will apnu Amdavad keep pace? Most certainly if a Rs 1,655-crore project to build a local rail network gets government approval.
When that happens, you will be able to hop on to a comfortable and speedy air-conditioned local trains instead of buses and autorickshaws. This is apart from a proposal to have a metro link between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) presented a report on the multi-thousand crore project to the state government for approval on Thursday after verifying it itself. The project was initially conceptualised by the Delhi Metro Board and submitted to the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board in 2005 which later forwarded it to government agency RITES for verification.
Group manager RITES, R P Singh, who along with general manager Bhagat Banga, presented the proposal, said, “The project will be a joint venture between the state government and the railways. The new service is aimed at benefiting short-distance travel in megacity Ahmedabad.”
Sources said the project entails building a regional rail network in the city in three years from the time the state government and the railway ministry approve it. Under the project, key areas in the city will be connected by a network of air-conditioned trains — a luxury version of Mumbai locals.
Sources said two routes have been identified where special tracks will be built for trains. The first, a 43.5 km stretch connecting Barajedi, Kalupur and Kalol, would have stops at Barajedi, Geratpur, Vatva, Maninagar, Kalupur, Sabarmati, Chandkheda, Khodiyar, Saij Sertha Road and Kalol.
The second route is proposed on a 9.4 km stretch connecting Kalupur and Naroda, with halts at Kalupur, Asarva, airport, Saijpur, Sardargram and Naroda.
The two routes see a lot of road traffic at present. Railway sources said about 57 lakh people travelled on the two routes in 2007. A new rail network could speed up travel in the luxury of AC coaches, ease congestion and facilitate better connectivity. The passenger traffic is expected to increase to 101 lakh on the route by 2035.
The project cost, estimated at Rs 1,076 crore in 2004, has now ballooned to Rs 1,655 crore. But the latest proposal makes provision for the cost escalation. It suggests sharing of the cost by the state government and the railway ministry in equal proportion.
The system operation and management can, however, remain with railways. Whatever the arrangement, a new intra-city train service is worth its while for so many who want to ditch two-wheelers and cars but find public transport too slow and inconvenient.
