13 Trains To Run In 1st Phase of Bhubaneswar Metro, Says MP Aparajita Sarangi

Bhubaneswar: The first phase of Bhubaneswar Metro would be completed by December, 2027, local MP Aparajita Sarangi said on Saturday.

Speaking to the media after a review meeting on the project, Sarangi said 13 Metro trains will run in the first phase of the rail connectivity from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Trishulia. Each Metro train will have three coaches and are likely to provide service to around 95,000 people everyday.

Sarangi said the trains will have stoppages at 20 stations across a stretch of 26 km in the first phase. Out of those, three are located in Ekamra constituency, four in Central Bhubaneswar and 10 in North Bhubaneswar.

The metro trains will run on tracks 13 metre above the ground level. The height of the railway tracks will be higher in areas like Rajmahal, Jayadev Vihar and Baranga.

The Odisha government had roped in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the metro project. The DMRC received approval for its Detailed Project Report (DPR) from the state government on October 7, 2023, while the foundation stone for metro rail was laid by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 1.

Of the total estimated cost of Rs 6,256 crore for the project, Rs 460 crore have been spent. The state government has given Rs 250 crore in October. It will allocate Rs 350 crore by March 23, 2025.

The project is being executed jointly by the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC), state government and DMRC. Sarangi said the Centre was yet to take a decision on the fund for the second phase of the project.