Ahmedabad Metro update

A paradigm shift has taken place in the latest Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro rail plans. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has submitted a detailed project report (DPR) to the state government which now wants a portion of the Thaltej- Kalupur metro line in the first phase to go underground. Not only this, the state government has proposed that the 10.9 km East-West metro line be shifted from the Income Tax-Shahpur Darwaza-Delhi Darwaza-Prem Darwaza—Kalupur line towards Relief road. Officials from the DMRC and the state government have been discussing the inclines, gradients, alignments for the purpose. In fact, talks of a special hydraulic platform with a small gradient that would gradually take a stationary metro train to the tunnel level on Relief Road-Kalupur stretch is also being proposed for this line. High commercial activity on Relief road and proximity to Lal Darwaza bus station are the major reasons why planners from the state urban development department have desired this change in the route plans. In fact, in the small stretch from the beginning of Relief road towards Kalupur railway station, the metro rail will go underground. In the 2005 report, DMRC had envisioned a complete elevated system for the city. However, heavy passenger traffic on Relief road, growing traffic concerns and constriction of space in the walled city have led to the urgent need to go underground, like in certain areas in Delhi. “Issues like Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) regulations and guidelines are being looked into while considering construction of metro route, while stability of old structures in the walled city will also be examined. The alignment is being looked into as the state government had demanded the Relief road approach,” said a senior official of the state urban development department. Two months back, the 32.65 km North-South Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar line was proposed to be shifted from Ashram road to the parallel regional rail network line of Western railways as there was no space on Ashram road. Other reasons were that the state government had declared Sabarmati Ashram as a silent zone and there is a lack of space for some of the major metro stations — Usmanpura and three stations planned between RTO circle and Paldi. In fact, DMRC had earlier suggested a Sabarmati Ashram station just opposite the entrance of the Ashram. “The metro route will be unchanged till Sabarmati station but then instead of going towards RTO, the new route is proposed to turn towards Ranip, Naranpura, Gandhigram, Ambawadi, Vejalpur and Sarkhej railway line,” the official added.