Ahmedabad Metro is a rapid transit system for the cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. It is being built by Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle company constituted in 2018 to implement all metro projects in Gujarat. The company was established in February 2010 and the Phase–1 of the project was approved in October 2014. Construction of Ahmedabad Metro started on 14 March 2015, and Phase-1 is expected to be completed by 2023. A section of east–west corridor was inaugurated on 4 March 2019 by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was opened to the public on 6 March 2019. Phase 2 with a length of 28.254 km was approved by India's central government on February 19, 2019. Tendering for its construction began in January 2020. Construction work is expected to begin by 2021.
History
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. Following the estimated cost of 4295 crores 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. The special purpose vehicle company, Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd, was established by Government of Gujarat on 4 February 2010 with Rs 200 crore. Later in 2014, it was decided that the Central Government will own 50% of the company. On 19 October 2014, Union Cabinet of India approved 10,773 Crores for the Phase–1. The Central government approved use of unused Western Railways land along the Botad- Sabarmati meter gauge line in November 2014. The original plan of Metro along Ashram Road was tweaked and the track was moved westward. The new plan added cost of 500 crore and two more stations. It helped by fewer problems in land acquisition and less congestion on Ashram Road. In 2015 budget of Gujarat, 611 crore was further allocated for the metro. The ground breaking ceremony was held on 14 March 2015 for the construction of 6.5 km 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. The Indian Railways permitted the construction of north–south corridor stretch on its land in June 2016. Japan International Co-operation Agency agreed to fund 5968 Crores for Phase-1 of the project in November 2015 and the first trench of 4456 Crores was released in 2016. The Government of Gujarat gave approval for Phase-2 of project in October 2017 and revised it in October 2018. In February 2019, the Union cabinet approved the Rs 5384.17 crore second phase of the project. It will extend from Motera to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, with a separate line from Gujarat National Law University linking Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University and GIFT City. The Phase-2 will have total 28.254 km long elevated corridor with 22 stations. The trial runs were carried out in February 2019 on 6.5 km long Vastral – Apparel Park section of Phase-1. The section was inaugurated on 4 March 2019 by Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi. He also laid the foundation of Phase 2. It opened to the public on 6 March 2019.
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. The land acquisition is also opposed by the residents and shop owners of Jivraj Park, Vejalpur area. They had filed a case in Gujarat High Court. They settled the case in September 2017. 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 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 which was never delivered is also being investigated. The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out wasteful expenditure of 373.62 crore on earlier unapproved corridors.
