Surat is located 284 Kms south of Gandhi Nagar, 265 Kms of Ahmedabad and 289 Kms north of Mumbai. The economy of the entire city is based mainly on two industries, the textile industries of manmade fibers/fabrics and the diamond cutting and polishing industry. It is one of the most dynamic cities of India having faster growth rate due to immigration from various parts of Gujarat and other States of India too. National Highway-8 (NH-8) passes within 16 Kms. of municipal boundaries of Surat and is located midway on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route.
The city is well known for its diamond and textile industries and popularly called the Diamond City of India. It is famous for its diamond cutting and polishing and more than 90 percent of crude diamond across the world is processed here. Surat is a popular shopping centre for apparels and accessories in India. It is the eighth largest city by population and ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. It is the administrative capital of the Surat district. According to a study conducted by Economic Times, Surat is expected to be the world’s fastest growing city till 2035. Presently is the 4th fastest growing city of the world and fastest growing city of India. The city registered an annualised GDP growth rate of 11.5% over the seven fiscal years between 2001 and 2008.
Surat has been awarded as the ‘best city’ by the Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) in 2013. The city has been selected as the first smart IT city in India which is being constituted by the Microsoft CityNext Initiative tied up with IBM. Surat is listed as the second cleanest city of India as of 21 August 2020 according to the Swachh Survekshan 2020. The city has various engineering plants like Essar, Larsen and Toubro and RIL. Surat won the Netexplo Smart Cities Award 2019 with UNESCO in the resilience category.
Economic Power House of Gujrat
Surat, the ‘Economic Powerhouse of Gujrat’ is envisioned to transform the dreams of people of the country into reality through its dream city. Ninety percent of the diamonds of the industrial grade glittering all over the world is processed at Surat. Looking at the immense potential of this industry the central government under Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has conceptualized a big sparkling dream – The Diamond Research and Mercantile City (Dream City) to be developed at Surat. The mega project envisioned by central government (to be developed by state government) is on the paths of creating Aatmnirbhar Bharat. The core objective of this mega dream is to improve trading facilities of diamond industry outward by forward and backward integration. The master plan of dream city formed in 683 hectares on Sachin Magdala National Highway just opposite to the existing international convention centre and only three kilometres from Surat Airport will transform the trading scenario of Diamond City – Surat and bestow it the required identity on global map in terms of grandeur, luxury and quality compared to any world class standard set.
A glorious entrance gate has been designed to welcome the visitors to the world of opportunities at Dream City. The 60 meter wide main road with dedicated corridor for mass transportation has been designed to facilitate commuters through all modes of transport. The first phase of Surat Metro starts from dream city. Envisioned here is an elegant skywalk that shall transfer passengers from dream city metro station to diamond burst by BRTS service with ultra modern terminal that is designed to make multi-modal connectivity smoother and comfortable.
Dedicated cycle track, elegant footpath decorated with classic street furniture and smart street lights have been introduced to add glint to the ambience. Environment friendly infrastructure has been given importance to create green spaces. As a part of it park, open spaces, garden have been planned that would flourish throughout the project. The area which was used as dumping site previously has been scientifically refilled capped and developed as lush green sports and ecological park. Currently the dream city company has started establishment of basic infrastructure such as roads water supply drainage system and electricity along with corporate office and control and command center.
To boost the economic activity and trade the dream city project will also incorporate allied facilities like international banking and insurance facilities, dedicated custom house accompanied by national diamond research institute, international convention center, international education facilities, five-star hotels and dedicated custom house with high security surveillance system. Development of Dumas Ubraat Beach has also been planned that would add glitter to the development of dream city. The gem of the project Surat Diamond Bourse the world’s largest office building with 6.6 million sq.ft area which is larger than Pentagon and Burj Khalifa will be the focal point of the dream city. The gigantic SDB complex consisting nine sky-high towers of 15 floors will accommodate 4200 plus offices ranging from 300 to 7500 square feet will fulfil all requirements of international, national and local traders. All the towers have been designed and planned to connect each. 126 high speed lifts will drop commuters to the desired destination within four minutes of time from entering the security gate.
The majestic sdb building costing rupees 2276 crore has been designed on Panchatatva theme. IGBC platinum rated green building will also be an another attraction that would provide amenities such as conference spaces, multi-purpose halls, restaurants, banks, retail shops along with high security plans. The Surat Diamond bourse has already proven its potentiality through enormous response which booked all 4200 office spaces in advance. The dream city in Surat, Gujrat determines to take the economy to the new height through revenue, employment and business development. The dream of progress and prosperity not only of Surat, Gujrat but India will become reality soon.
Metro: The Viability
Surat is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and densely populated with an average 13680 persons/sq.km accommodating about 44.67 Lakhs people as per census 2011. Average decadal growth of population of Surat since 2001 to 2011 was about 55.29%. Surat is spread over an area of 326.515 sq. kms.
Surat’s high population growth rate, coupled with high economic growth rate has resulted in an ever increasing demand for transport creating excessive pressure on the existent transport system. With high growth in transport demand over the years, congestion on roads has been increasing due to phenomenal rise in private transport. Absence of an efficient full-fledged public transport system coupled with rapid growth in the use of personalized vehicles has led to high consumption of fossil fuel and increase in environmental pollution. Surat has also been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a ‘Smart City’. The existing network of public transport systems including dedicated BRTS needs to be strengthened further in order to cope-up with rising demand of transport system.
Surat Metro : General Information & Details
To cater to needs of most prospective and fastest growing city of India the following two Metro Corridors have been identified for its inclusion in Surat Metro Rail Network (Phase-1)
| Sr. No. | Corridor | Underground | Elevated /At Grade (Kms) | Total (Km) |
| 01 | Phase-1 Corridor-1 (Sarthana to Dream City) | 6.47 Kms | 15.14 Kms | 21.61 Kms |
| 02 | Corridor-2 (Bhesan to Saroli) | — | 18.74 Kms | 18.74 Kms |
| Total | 6.47 Kms | 33.88 Kms | ms |
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared for the proposed 02 (two) corridors extending in North, South, East, West and Central parts of Surat city, as such most parts of Surat are covered with these proposed corridors. The project comprises various important and prominent areas along the proposed corridors under Surat Metro Rail Network as per details as under:
- Sarthana – Dream City : This corridor provides metro connectivity to Gadhpur Township, Sarthana Nature Park, Nana Varachhe village, Kalakunj Junction, Kapodra and Puna village, Labeshwar Chowk area, Big Diamond Market (Mini Bazar) of Surat, Retail Sari Market, Surat Railway Station, Muskati Hospital, Bhagal Junction, Gandhi Bagh, Chowk Bazar, Majura Gate, Roopali Canal, Altha Treatment, Althan Gram, VIP Road, Women IIT, Bhimrad, Convention City and Dream City.
- Bhesan – Saroli : Prominent areas like Bhesan Treatment Plant, International Cricket Stadium, SMC Botanical Garden, Palanpur, LP Savani School, Performing Art Centre, TGB Circle, Aquarium, Badri Narayan Temple, Star Bazar, Tapi River, Athawa Chopati, Majura Gate, UdhanaDarwaja, Kamala Darwaja, Anjana Junction, Parvat Pataya, Magub Village, Bharat Cancer Hospital, Saroli etc. are connected through this route.
The other details are as under:
| Project | Metro rail for N-S and E-W corridor for Surat City |
| Location | Surat City (Gujrat) |
| Client | GMRC |
| Total Cost of Phase 1 | INR 12,800 Crore |
| Total Phase 1 length | 40.35 Km |
| Total No. of Stations | 37 |
| Corridor 1 | Sardhana to Khajod where 15.14 Km is elevated and 6.47 Km is underground section |
| Corridor 2 | Bhesan to Saroli. 18.74 Kmis elevated section. |
| Interchange / Depot(D) | Majura gate / Khajod (D) & Bhesan (D) |
| Worked Involved | Feasibility Studies |
| Seismic Zone | Zone III |
| Soil | Alluvial Soil |
| Duration of Construction | 36 Months |
| Consultants appointed till date | DMRC – DPR CoE, CEPT University – Traffic Studies |
The Government of India approved the Surat Metro project in March 2019. Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) jointly owned by the governments of India and Gujarat, is responsible for the implementation of the project.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was engaged to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the first phase of Surat Metro in January 2016. It later reviewed and revised the DPR to incorporate new provisions, as per the new 2017 metro policy of the Indian government. The foundation stone for the new metro rail project was laid in January 2021 while completion is expected by December 2023. The project is estimated to involve an investment of Rs120.2bn.
The Metro with 2 lines and 37 stations is being built to serve Surat, the second largest city of Gujarat, by the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC). The Pre-construction work on Surat Metro Phase-1 started in 2021. Surat Metro Phase 1 project’s DPR (Detailed Project Report) with a network length of 40.35 km was approved by the Gujarat state government in January 2017 and by the Central Government’s cabinet in March 2019.
The project will be financed mainly through equity from Government of India and Government of Gujarat on 50:50 basis, and through loans from AFD (Agence Francaise de Developpement – French Development Agency) (€250 million). Pre-construction work on Surat Metro’s Phase 1 started in Q1 2021.
Line, Routes and Stations
The 40.35km-long first phase of the Surat Metro will feature 38 stations across two corridors. The plan includes 32 elevated stations and six underground stations. The first corridor is proposed to be 21.61km long, including a 15.14km-long elevated section and a 6.47km-long underground section. It will run from Sarthana to Dream City, whereas the 18.74km-long, entirely elevated second corridor will run from Bhesan to Saroli.
The first corridor will have 20 metro stations, linking Sarthana, Nature Park, Kapodra, the Labheshwar chowk area, Central Warehouse, Surat Railway station, Maskati hospital, Gandhi Baug, Majura Gate, Roopali canal, and Dream City. Stations at Bhesan, Ugat Vaarigruh, Palanpur Road, LP Savani School, Adajan Gam, Aquarium, Majuragate, Kamela Darwaza, Magob, and Saroli will be connected through the second corridor. The Majura Gate station will serve as the interchange for the two corridors.
The planned corridors will have multi-modal integration of the metro rail with other modes of transportation, including feeder buses, intermediate public transport (IPT), and non-motorised transport (NMT). The corridors will connect the city’s most congested, significant, and densely populated areas.
Maintenance Facilities
The first phase will have two maintenance depots, one in each corridor, at Dream City and Bhesan. Solar equipment will be installed at the depots to harness solar energy.
Benefits
The Surat Metro project aims to provide a reliable and safer public transportation system that will address traffic congestion problems and reduce delays on major travel corridors, in Surat. The integrated mass public transit system is expected to reduce accidents and pollution while decreasing energy usage. It is expected to offset 40,000t of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Infrastructure
Surat Metro will have a 1,435mm standard gauge track for both the corridors, which will support operations at a maximum speed of 80km/h, and a design speed of 90km/h. The ticketing system will feature an automatic fare collection system comprising a computerised contactless smart token for a single journey, and contactless smart cards for multiple journeys along the route. It will feature an integrated telecommunication system comprising fibre optic cable, train radio, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and a public address system.
The signalling system will comprise continuous automatic train control (CATC), with cab signalling and an automatic train operation (ATO) system. Automatic train supervision equipment will be installed to enhance operational safety.
Rolling Stock
Trainsets with stainless steel car bodies are being considered for the metro project, according to the detailed project report (DPR). The preferred configuration is three-car trains, and each train is expected to have a carrying capacity of approximately 764 passengers, comprising 136 seated passengers and 628 standing passengers.
The trains will be outfitted with train-based monitor and control systems such as train control and management system (TCMS), or train integrated management system (TIMS). The maximum operating speed of the trains is 80km/h.
Financing
The project will be financed primarily through equity from the governments of India and the Gujarat state on a 50:50 basis. Part of the financing will be secured through loans from bilateral/multilateral agencies. The federal government signed a loan agreement, worth €442.26m ($500.13m), with Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW) Development Bank for the project, in December 2021.
A loan agreement worth €250m ($303.16m) was signed between the Indian government and the French Development Agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), for the metro project in January 2021.
System Specifications
- Top Speed: 80 kmph
- Average Speed: 40 kmph
- Track Gauge: Standard Gauge 1435 mm
- Electrification: 750 V DC Third Rail
- Signalling: Communications-based Train Control (CBTC)
Key Figures
- Operational Line : 0 km
- Under Construction: 18.6 km
- Approved Line: 40.35 km
- Estimated Cost: Rs. 12,020.32 crore
- Estimated Daily Ridership: 2.20 lakh/day (2027)
Surat Metro Phase 1 Route Information
Line-1 (Red Line) : Sarthana – Dream City
- Length: 21.61 km
- Type: Elevated (15.14 km) & Underground (6.47 km)
- Depot: Dream City (system’s operations control centre OCC to also be built here)
- Number of Stations: 20
- Station Names: Sarthana, Nature Park, Varaccha Chopati Garden, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Kalakunj, Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk, Central Wavehouse, Surat Railway Station, Maskati Hospital, Chowk Bazar, Gandhi Baug, Kadarsha Ni Nal, Majura Gate (interchange), Rupali Canal, Althan Tenement, Althan Gam, VIP Road, Woman IIT, Bhimrad Convention Center, Dream City
Line-2 (Green Line) Bhesan – Saroli
- Length: 18.74 km
- Type: Elevated
- Depot: Bhesan
- Number of Stations: 18
- Station Names: Bhesan, Botanical Garden, Ugat Varrigruh, Palanpur Road, LP Savani School, Performing Art Centre, Adajan Gam, Aquarium, Badri Narayan Temple, Athwa Chopati, Majura Gate (interchange), Udhna Dawaja, Kamela Darwaja, Anjana Farm, Model Town, Magob, Bharat Cancer Hospital, Saroli
Metro Fares (Ticket Prices)
Surat Metro’s fare structure, prices and rules have not been announced yet. That will be finalized closer to the start of commercial operations. GMRC plans to use the latest technologies for its automatic fare collection (AFC) system to allow QR codes and Near Field Communication (NFC) phones to utilize the system.
Contractors involved
A consortium of Ardanuy Ingenieria and Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) was appointed to provide detailed design consultation services for the power supply and distribution system, 750V DC third rail traction electrification, and SCADA system, in 2020. A consortium of RITES and Rina Consulting was engaged to provide consulting services for the development of a multi-modal integration plan for both corridors, in 2020.
RITES also prepared the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA) documents for phase one of the Surat Msetro. Rina Consulting was also awarded the tender for the contract to provide detailed design consultancy services for environment simulation studies and tunnel ventilation system (TVS) of the underground section of the phase one, in 2021. In August 2021, SYSTRA Group, in partnership with joint venture (JV) partners EGIS Rail and AECOM, received a contract to conduct DPR review and design review, as well as procurement support and construction supervision for civil and system works.
In addition, the contractual scope covers system integration, project management, and other services such as safety and quality inspection, testing, and commissioning. SYSTRA is the lead partner of the JV. J Kumar Infraprojects, a civil engineering company, was awarded the package for the construction of the underground section between Surat railway station, and Chowk Bazar ramp. The contractual scope includes the design, construction, and completion of the underground stations and tunnel. A twin bore underground tunnel is being installed and the package includes three underground stations, namely Chowk Bazar, Maskati Hospital, and Surat railway station.
A JV between Sadbhav Engineering and SP Singla Constructions was awarded a contract to construct an 11.6km-long elevated viaduct between Kadarsha Ni Nal and Dream City, including a ramp for depot access near Dream City and ten stations. Gulermak-SAM India Builtwell JV was contracted for the design, construction, and completion of underground stations and tunnels between the Kapodra ramp and the Surat railway station. ITD Cementation India, a construction company, was awarded a tender for the development and construction of the Dream City depot, Metro Bhavan building, and operations control centre (OCC), in June 2021. TERRATEC, a designer and manufacturer of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), based in Australia, was engaged to supply earth pressure balance TBMs for the phase one of Surat Metro rail project.
Latest Update
The construction work for Phase-1 of the Rs 12,020-crore Surat Metro rail project has begun after tenders worth over Rs 3,002 crore for various civil works, including those for the underground section being awarded by the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC). Work has been started on the 21.58-kilometre corridor between Sarthana and Dream city. GMRC has awarded tenders worth Rs 3,002 crore, including tenders for the underground section, which will be built at a cost of over Rs 1,870 crore. The first tender for building the 11.6-kilometre elevated section from Dream City to Chowk Bazar has been awarded to a joint venture between M/s Sadbhav Engineering Ltd and SP Singla Constructions Pvt Ltd. Work for the six-odd kilometres of the underground section, which is on the same corridor between Dream City and Sarthana, has been allotted in two packages. M/s JK Infra Projects have been awarded the contract to construct the underground section between Chowk Bazar to Surat Railway Station (3.6 km) at the cost of Rs 943 crore.
A joint venture between Gulermark and Sam India Builtwell has been awarded a Rs 929-crore contract to build the underground section between Kapodara to Central Warehouse (3.46 kms). A fourth tender of Rs 350 crore has been awarded to M/s ITD Cementation India for constructing the Dream City Depot. The scope of work will also include construction of Operations Control Centre and metro Bhavan headquarters at Dream city.
The Phase-1 of Surat Metro was sanctioned on June 6, 2019, for a total length of 40.35 kilometres. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and conducted the bhoomi pujan virtually on January 18, 2021. The project consists of two elevated corridors with a total of 38 stations. The longest corridor of about 21.58 kilometres is between Sarthana and Dream city. This section with 20 stations also has 6.47 kilometres of underground network from Chowk Bazar to Labheshwar Chowk. The second corridor of 18.74 kilometres is between Bhesan and Saroli and has 18 stations. Of the Rs 12,020 crore needed for Phase-1 constructions, France’s AFD and Germany’s KfW shall be providing a soft loan of Rs 5,434 crore, which will be 57 per cent of the total cost. The central and state governments will pitch in with Rs 1,487 crore each. The Phase-1 of the project is targeted to be completed by March 2024. Over 676 families are expected to be affected by the Surat Metro project and the GMRC has sanctioned Rs 375 crore for rehabilitation work. The on-site identification and finalisation of affected families are in process. The actual number of affected families will be calculated after the finalisation of alignment, on-site demarcation and detailed site survey.
Conclusion
Surat is the second largest city after Ahmedabad situated on the mouth of river Tapti close to Arabian Sea in the western state of India, Gujrat. Earlier it used to be a large seaport and now it is the commercial and economic center in South Gujarat, and one of the largest urban areas of western India.
Surat’s high population growth rate, coupled with high economic growth rate has resulted in an ever increasing demand for transport creating excessive pressure on the existent transport system. With high growth in transport demand over the years, congestion on roads, has been increasing due to phenomenal rise in private transport. Absence of an efficient full-fledged public transport system coupled with rapid growth in the use of personalized vehicles has led to high consumption of fossil fuels and increase in environmental pollution. The existing network of public transport systems including dedicated BRTS needs to be strengthened further in order to cope up with the rising demand of transport system especially when Surat is being developed as a ‘Smart City’. For this purpose provision of rail-based Metro system has been considered in the city.
