The ministry of housing and urban affairs (Mohua) has ruled out a “metrolite” for Chandigarh and indicated that the metro is the only mass rapid transit system (MRTS) option on the table for the city. According to ministry officials, if the metro project for the city gets central government nod, the metro is likely to run with only two coaches in the initial years, sources said. Metrolite is a light urban rail transit system on the lines of the metro, but much smaller in size and cost, priced almost a third of the metro rail. Coaches have a low floor height of about 300 to 350mm and minimum length of 33m. Metrolite is meant for lower passenger capacity at a reduced cost as compared to a metro line.
The ministry comments have come at a time when Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has been tasked with the preparation of an alternative analysis report (AAR) and detailed project report. RITES also has to come up with a feasibility report on different options like metro and metrolite and their cost benefits. Earlier this week, UT, RITES and Mohua officials met in Delhi to hold preliminary discussions on the project, particularly on elevated or underground MRTS route in the city.
The Mohua was informed about the recommendations of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) sub-panel on elevated and underground route options. UT chief architect Kapil Setia and CHCC sub-panel head Sumit Kaur attended the meeting from Chandigarh.
Ministry officials were told that the CHCC panel favoured an underground route in the city. They were briefed about heritage considerations for CHCC recommendations and informed that there is a Unesco world heritage site of Capitol Complex on the proposed route. Heritage sectors are also part of the same route. Besides, the Chandigarh Master Plan (CMP-2031) supports underground MRTS networks within the city. During a meeting with RITES earlier this month, the CHCC panel backed a completely underground MRTS route in the city and stated, “An elevated metro in Chandigarh would totally be incongruous to city’s lowrise, garden city character.”
