VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister P. Narayana met Union Minister for Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi on Tuesday, urging him to expedite the approval of the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam metro rail projects. Narayana was accompanied by MPs Vallabhaneni Balashowry and Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, along with Special Chief Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal, as they discussed various development projects concerning Andhra Pradesh.
During the meeting, Narayana highlighted that the metro rail projects were initially proposed during the previous TDP government, with detailed project reports (DPRs) prepared in 2015 and submitted to the Centre. However, he noted that the subsequent YSRC government did not follow up on the projects. Narayana presented updated proposals for both metro rail projects, emphasizing that the Vijayawada metro rail would connect to Amaravati. He also requested the release of Andhra Pradesh’s share of AMRUT 2.0 funds, to which the Union Minister responded positively.
According to the revised plan, the Vijayawada Metro Rail Project spans a total length of 66.20 km and is set to be executed in two phases with an estimated outlay of ₹25,130 crore. The first phase involves the construction of a 38.40 km rail line at an estimated cost of ₹11,009 crore, covering two routes—one from Vijayawada Bus Station to Gannavaram (25.95 km) and another from the Bus Station to Penamaluru (12.45 km). The second phase will focus on developing a 27.80 km route from the Bus Station to Amaravati, with a projected cost of ₹14,121 crore.
The Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project is planned with four corridors, covering a total distance of 76.90 km at a cost of ₹17,232 crore. In the first phase, three corridors spanning 46.23 km will be developed at an estimated cost of ₹11,498 crore. Corridor-1 extends from VSP to Kommadi (34.40 km) with 29 stations, Corridor-2 from Gurudwara to Old Post Office (5.07 km) with six stations, and Corridor-3 from Thatichetlapalem to Chinna Waltair (6.75 km) with seven stations.
