Ahmedabad Metro

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the metro on 30 September 2022.

In 2003, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board carried out the study for urban transport between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. It also carried out the detailed project report through Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and RITES and submitted it in June 2005 and received Central Government's approval in the same year.[6][7] Following the estimated cost of ₹4,295 crore (US$540 million) and the study of the viability of the project, it was abandoned in 2005 to give priority to the Ahmedabad BRTS and suburban railway projects. In 2008, considering the future developments in and around Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the project was revived and new corridors were designed to make the project viable.[8][9]

The special purpose vehicle company, Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd, later renamed Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRC) in 2018, was established by Government of Gujarat on 4 February 2010 with ₹202 crore (US$25 million). Later in 2014, it was decided that the Central Government will own 50% of the company.[10][11]

Phase-1

North-South Corridor under construction near Sabarmati Powerhouse and Sabarmati Railway Station 9 July 2017

On 19 October 2014, Union Cabinet of India approved ₹10,773 crore (US$1.3 billion) for the Phase–1.[11] The Central Government approved the use of unused Western Railways land along the Botad-Sabarmati meter gauge line in November 2014.[12] The original plan of Metro along Ashram Road was tweaked and the track was moved westward. The new plan added the cost of ₹600 crore (US$75 million) and two more stations. The new plan helped by causing fewer problems in land acquisition and less congestion on Ashram Road. In 2015 budget of Gujarat, ₹611 crore (US$77 million) was further allocated for the metro. The ground breaking ceremony was held on 14 March 2015 for the construction of 6.5 km (4.0 mi) long Vastral – Apparel Park stretch of East–West corridor in presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel. The ground-breaking ceremony for North-South Corridor was held on 17 January 2016 in presence of the then Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. The work started in March 2016.[13][14][15][16] The Indian Railways permitted the construction of North–South corridor stretch on its land in June 2016.[17] Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) agreed to fund ₹5,968 crore (US$750 million) for Phase-1 of the project in November 2015 and the first trench of ₹4,456 crore (US$560 million) was released in 2016.[18]

The trial runs were carried out in February 2019 on 6.5 km (4.0 mi) long Vastral – Apparel Park section of Phase-1.[19][20] The section was inaugurated on 4 March 2019 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[21][22] It opened to the public on 6 March 2019.[23] The 1.4 km (0.87 mi)-long Thaltej-Thaltej Gam section and three metro stations (Kankaria East, Thaltej Gam and Sabarmati) will be completed by December 2023.

[24][25][26][27] The rest of the Phase-1 was inaugurated on 30 September 2022 by Prime Minister Modi.[28] The east–west corridor and the north–south corridor were opened to public on 2 October 2022 and 6 October 2022 respectively.[29] The cost of Phase-1 construction was ₹12,900 crore (US$1.6 billion).[28]

Note: East-West Corridor is 14.63 km (9.09 mi) elevated and 6.53 km (4.06 mi) underground.

In April 2023, the trial run of Phase II of the Ahmedabad Metro project, which aims to connect Ahmedabad with Gandhinagar, the state capital, is expected to commence. The trial is likely to start in June or July of the same year.[34] In February 2023, Titagarh Rail Systems won a contract worth ₹350 crore for providing rolling stock for the Ahmedabad Metro.[35]

Current status

Map of operational network

Main article: List of Ahmedabad Metro stations

Ahmedabad Metro
Line Name	First Operational	Last Extension	Number of operational stations	Operational length	Terminal Stations		Rolling Stock	Track Gauge (mm)	Electrification
Blue Line	4 March 2019	30 September 2022	16 (except Thaltej Gam and Kankaria East)	19.76 km (12.28 mi)	Thaltej	Vastral Gam	Hyundai Rotem	Standard Gauge (1,435 mm)	750V DC Third Rail
Red Line	30 September 2022	N/A	14 (except Sabarmati Railway station)	18.87 km (11.73 mi)	Motera Stadium	APMC
Total			29 (with Old High Court interchange)	38.63 km

Nirant Cross Road metro station

The metro started commercial operations in March 2019. Over 7.1 lakh people had travelled by metro till June 2022 but the monthly ridership had never exceeded 38,137 which is the highest ridership registered in March 2019 due to short length of the opened corridor then. The most riders were identified as those taking joyrides.[26]

Following opening of the Phase-1 in September 2022, the ridership increased significantly, with March 2023 seeing more than 1.3 million riders take the Metro.Read more.

Near Thaltej Gam on western side, 300-odd shop owners opposed the land acquisition while the officials said that there is need of huge land for depot and parking for the project.[36] The land acquisition is also opposed by the residents and shop owners of Jivraj Park in Vejalpur area. They had filed a case in Gujarat High Court.[37][38] They settled the case in September 2017.[39] Former IAS officer and executive chairman of project Sanjay Gupta and seven of his subordinate officers were accused while two of them were arrested in May 2015 for alleged committed fraud of ₹113 crore (US$14 million) in procurement and use of ground filling materials for the project in 2012. Another case regarding procurement of 603 tons of TMT steel worth ₹2.62 crore (US$330,000) which was never delivered is also being investigated.[40][41][42][43]

The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out wasteful expenditure of ₹373.62 crore (US$47 million) on earlier unapproved corridors.[44]

• Urban rail transit in India
  • Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited
    • Surat Metro

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ahmedabad Metro.

• Official website
• Phase-1 Detailed Project Report Archived 6 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine