Preparations • Metro Rail Corporation has issued tender for geological survey, cabinet approval is still pending for this route
A geological survey will be conducted for the proposed section of the metro beyond Khajrana intersection. This will include soil testing and other technical surveys. The decision to make this section underground was announced in December last year. The Metro Rail Corporation has issued a tender for the geological survey, which will be opened by the end of this month. This will cost approximately ₹800 crore (approximately $8 billion). Formal cabinet approval is still pending, but preparations have already begun at the departmental level.
The agency that was awarded the tender for the first elevated corridor for this route has not yet been cancelled. If it is short-closed, the company will be required to pay compensation. No formal claim has been made by the company yet. Any claim made will have to be justified technically and financially. Only then will the Metro Rail Corporation make a final decision.
Where did the route change? 4 km ahead of Khajrana intersection
How much additional expenditure is around Rs 800 crore?
Who got the tender first? RVNL in March 2024
Objection received: June 2024 new tender
Possible date: April 2026
CMRS inspection expected in February 2026
A four-km route will be built underground.
Approximately four kilometers of the route have been altered and will now be built underground. New tenders will be issued as soon as the survey and testing are complete. The section beyond this is already proposed to be underground. RVNL received a tender worth ₹550 crore for this section in March 2024. In June 2024, public representatives raised objections and were asked to explore an underground alternative. Since then, it was believed that building an elevated corridor would be difficult. Based on this, the company can now assess its losses. According to sources, a new tender for the underground corridor will be issued in April.
Gandhinagar to Radisson Square: CMRS inspection likely in February
The 17-km elevated corridor from Gandhi Nagar to Radisson Square is yet to be inspected by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CRMS) before the metro can begin commercial operations. His team is expected to visit Indore in February. The NOC will be issued after the inspection. Officials have certainly accelerated the pace of work, but not all stations have been completed yet.
There is no plan yet on station connectivity and parking, passengers will face problems in future
No concrete plan has yet been developed for connectivity and parking to reach metro stations. This could cause future inconvenience to commuters. Several rounds of discussions have been held with the municipal administration, but there is no vacant land in densely populated areas for parking. There is talk of e-rickshaw connectivity, but a complete map for that hasn’t been developed.
