Overview
Visakhapatnam, often known as the City of Destiny and the Jewel of the East Coast, is the capital of Andhra Pradesh, the Sunrise State. The city serves as both the state’s financial and executive capitals. Visakhapatnam’s current metro area population is 2,331,000, a 2.33% growth from 2022. The metro area population of the city in 2022 was 2,278,000, a 2.34% growth from 2021 and the population in 2021 was 2,226,000, a 2.34% growth from 2020. The city is well accessible by road, train, air, and sea from all parts of the country. It is a booming and buzzing activity centre owing to well-established educational, health, industrial, and merchandise Hubs and popular tourist and pilgrimage destinations. Additionally, thousands flock and visit the city daily, making the town’s floating population hundreds and thousands.
Therefore, a world-class mass rapid transit system, or Metro Rail, appears to be an essential means of public transport to tackle the problems of Visakhapatnam’s rapidly changing traffic scenario. Therefore, the ‘Vizag Metro’ has evolved as an ‘Ultimate Solution’ to provide commuters with a fast, secure, dependable, efficient, comfortable, pollution-free, economical, convenient, and environmentally friendly mode of transportation. A modern light metro system would transform the city’s mass transportation scenario.
The Metro Rail System in Visakhapatnam has been planned for deployment and setting up of a modern transport system in the most environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable way possible. The project is scheduled to start with a passenger capacity of 5-6 lakhs per day by 2024 and eventually increase the carrying capacity to more than 20 lakhs a day by 2054. The socioeconomic study and research suggest a 19.10% EIRR, which directly or indirectly improved and enhanced living standards for the people.
Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project
Visakhapatnam Metro is a planned and proposed rapid transit system for Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The system is designed to relieve traffic congestion while offering a modern and efficient public transport system in the city, which is Andhra Pradesh’s largest town and the primary economic centre following the state’s partition. With the start of the metro, Visakhapatnam is expected to be the only city in India to have both a metro and a tram system. It is envisaged to be the world’s most extensively developed PPP-based metro system when completed. Initially suggested for a 42.55 km metro rail alignment in the city. The government plans to expand the Metro Rail system to encompass more routes in the city and the VMRDA (Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) area. As a result, a detailed project report for 79.9 km of Light Metro Rail system and 60.2 km of modern catenary-free tram system is being prepared.
The proposed Light Metro Rail corridors are
- Kommadi to Steel Plant Jn. on NH-16 (34.23 km)
- Gurudwara to Old Post Office (5.26 km)
- Thatichetlapalem to Chinavalteru (RK Beach) (6.91 km)
- Law College Jn. to Marikivalasa (8.21 km)
- Kommadi to Bhogapuram Airport (25.3 km) and
Modern tramways are
- Old Post Office to Rusikonda Beach (15.40 km)
- NAD Jn. to Pendurthi (10.2 km)
- Steel Plant Jn. to Anakapalli (18.2 km)
- Rusikonda Beach to Bheemili Beach (16.4 km)
Features of the Metro System
- Iconic Stations: The stations would have cutting-edge designs with appealing exteriors and interiors. They have been planned to have adequate access to surrounding communities. The stations would be designed per conventional codes and NFPA 130 fire safety standards. For passenger movement, all stations would be outfitted with escalators and lifts. CCTV cameras, an X-ray machine for luggage scanning, human scanners, a fire safety system, station signage, a public display system, and an announcement system would ensure passenger safety. All amenities will be provided at these stations to make it more commuter-friendly.
- Green Metro Concept: The environmentally friendly metro rail services of ‘Visakhapatnam Metro’ are being built and developed to make it the most eco-friendly, ensuring carbon footprint levels close to ‘Zero’. Greenery is planned throughout the track and routes to make it look better and more appealing to the travellers. Harvest natural lighting during the day by putting Solar PV panels on station rooftops, depot boundary walls, service building rooftops, parking shelters and viaducts, among other places, to achieve self-sustainability for electric general services. In the event of excess solar energy from the ‘Metro Grid,’ it could be shared with other organisations. The stations have been planned to be built and constructed to meet the Indian Green Building Council’s Platinum certification requirements. Several energy conservation measures have been implemented, including the use of regenerative braking in trains to generate traction energy, resulting in lower emissions of Green House Gases (GHG), the use of Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (VVVF) drives for escalators and lifts, LED lights in station premises, the use of energy-efficient equipment for the environment control system, and others.
- Advanced Digital Technology: The most recent digital services would be used to provide services to Metro Commuters. ATV machines, LED glow signage boards, One start-to-end intelligent travel card for hassle-free and seamless travel, and a metro app for any metro information are just some highlights. In addition, the infusion of technology updates shall have no endings and will be continuous.
- Metro Stations as Commercial Hubs: Eight stations have been identified for development in the Station premises, namely Kommadi, Madhurawada, Railway station, Dwaraka Bus station, Gajuwaka, Saraswati Circle, R.K Beach (Chinnawaltair), Steel plant Jn. Station, so that commuters and the city public of all ages can visit and do one-stop shopping. Among the futuristic plans are the entertainment zones, multiplexes, mini auditoriums and nursery centres to be set up and established in the periphery.
- A Favoured Tourist Destination: The government planned and envisioned a much-needed boost to the tourism sector in and around Visakhapatnam, the second largest tourism revenue earner in the state, trailing only Tirumala-Tirupati. Many beach resorts, amusement parks, historical tourist sites, one of Asia’s largest zoological parks and other attractions can be found along the 32-kilometre-long beach line stretching from Vizag’s ancient post office to Bheemili. The entire stretch has important recreation points like Dolphins Nose, Ramakrishna Beach, MatsyaDarshini Aquarium, INS Submarine Museum, Aircraft Museum, Visakha Museum, Tarakarama VUDA Park, Lumbini Park, Kailasagiri -Ropeway & Toy Train, Thinneti beach park, Thotlakonda Buddhist Shrine, GITAM University, Indira Gandhi Zoological park, Rushikonda beach, IT Hills, Erradibbalu, Bheemili beach – Speed boat riding and scuba diving. Each of them is like a diamond pendant that requires a seemingly lesser connection to be entangled. The new catenary-free tram system is designed to connect all of the above locations and would resemble a magnificent necklace in the city’s heart.
- Last-mile connectivity: Integrating various forms of transport at Metro stations is vital for the success of Metro services with projected ridership. It is, therefore, meticulously and systematically built and constructed to have feeder services available at all times. Get-Set-Ride e-cycles are available at key locations. E-rickshaws and Metro Cab/Auto Rickshaw services with a fixed fee for commuters are planned to refrain from the loss of time and money gained through Metro travel. Parking zones for feeder services have been planned to be appropriately supplied at all major stations.
Latest Update
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh’s largest city and the state’s executive capital, seeks a metro rail system to meet the people’s expanding transit needs. The preliminary designs and detailed project report (DPR) for Vizag Metro have been developed by the project’s consultant, the Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC). The project is a joint venture of the Government of India, the Government of A.P., and IL&FS Engineering and Construction Limited. The State government has received the final DPR for constructing the Vizag Metro Rail. Once the State Cabinet approves, the proposal will be forwarded to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for clearance. The Government of India will bear twenty per cent of the project cost as Viability Gap Funding (VGF), the State government will bear twenty per cent, and the private investor will bear the remaining cost for the Vizag Metro project, which will be undertaken in the PPP mode. The proposed metro corridors are outlined as follows: a 64.09 km stretch from Kurmannapalem Junction to Bhogapuram through Gajuwaka and Anandapuram. The corridor would initially reach up to Kommadi Junction (34 km), and following the construction of the Bhogapuram International Airport, the metro corridor will be extended to the airport to give seamless access to city air passengers.
The second 6.5-kilometer corridor will run from Thatichetlapalem Junction (the current National Highway) to Park Hotel Junction, passing through Railway New Colony, Railway Station, Old Jail Road, Vivekananda statue junction, RTC Complex, Sampath Vinayaka temple road, and AU Out Gate. The third 5.5-kilometre corridor has been planned to run through Gurudwara junction (Santhipuram) to the Old Head Post Office (OHPO) junction, passing via Diamond Park, LIC, Dabagardens, the City Police Commissioner’s Office, and the Poorna market backside road. The city opted for a Light Metro system with elevated lines and corridors to cut money and minimise expenditures. There are no land acquisition issues in any of the corridors, except at the OHPO junction in the third corridor, where discussions with officials of the State Bank of India (SBI) and a shipping company located in the area about their properties have already taken place with a positive response. According to preliminary assessments, the maximum frequency between two trains in each corridor will be eight minutes. There have been planned to be two coaches initially, and their number may be increased based on demand.
