After many reviews and a revised plan from the Union Territory administration, the Union Ministry for Housing Affairs and Urban Development is expected to accept the plans for MetroLite in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar in the near future.
UT representatives have met twice with their HA&UD Ministry colleagues to fine-tune the plan.
According to the Daily Excelsior, citing unnamed official sources, it has been determined that a Metro line, similar to New Delhi’s, is not feasible for the cities of Jammu and Srinagar due to factors such as heavy traffic, the proximity of homes and businesses to the proposed route, and other considerations.
Between Bantalab and Bari Brahmana, the Jammu Light Rail System will span 23 kilometres and feature 22 stops, while the Srinagar Light Rail System will stretch 25 kilometres and feature 24 stops (12 stations on each corridor) across Indira Nagar, Hazuri Bagh, and Osmanabad.
Accordingly, “in view of this, the Union Ministry for Housing Affairs and Urban Development is expected to clear MetroLite for Jammu and Srinagar cities in consultations with the Jammu and Kashmir Government,” they said, adding that while MetroNeo was also being considered at the time, MetroLite appears to be feasible after various studies, assessment, and surveys were conducted by the experts, Ministry officials, and the UT administration on the routes proposed for the Metro service.
According to the report, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has sent a revised proposal to Hardeep Singh Puri, who heads the Union Ministry for Housing Affairs and Urban Development.
Puri has made two trips to Jammu in the last month, during which he discussed the possibility of a Metro train network in both Jammu and Srinagar with BJP leaders.
Jammu and Srinagar’s Metro rail DPRs totaled Rs 10, 599 crore, with Srinagar’s portion coming in at Rs 5,734 crore and Jammu’s at Rs 4,825 crore.
The proposal calls for the Jammu Light Metro to run for 17 hours per day all year round, while the Srinagar Light Metro will operate for 17 hours per day in the summer and 14 hours per day in the winter.
Since building tunnels under the city was deemed impractical, the metro rail lines will exclusively use elevated corridors. According to the DPRs, the MetroLite system’s coaches would be state-of-the-art, lightweight, and built of stainless steel and aluminium with an air conditioning system.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will confer with the Jammu and Kashmir Government before recommending the project for approval to the Union Cabinet. The plan is a key priority for Hardeep Puri’s Ministry, which is why it is being closely monitored by senior J&K government officials on a regular basis. According to the sources, during Puri’s two trips to the UT in the month of June, the UT BJP leaders brought up the suggestion with him.
They also said the Central Government might approve MetroLite for the cities of Jammu and Srinagar over the next couple of months if everything goes well. It should be noted that when Hardeep Puri’s Ministry submits the plan, it must be accepted by the Union Cabinet, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
