The detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed light metro rail project in Vizag city, which will cost Rs 14,309 crore, has been revised by Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited. For mandatory approvals, the DPR has been submitted to the Union government. The corridor between the Vizag steel plant gate and the NAD junction will be completed and made operational first, according to APMRCL’s managing director, U.J.M Rao. The project will be funded through a public-private partnership (PPP).
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh’s financial capital, has a population of around 40 lakh, including its urban agglomeration, far exceeding the 20-lakh threshold for a metro rail project set by the 2017 Metro Rail Policy. Once the project is completed, metro trains will run every eight minutes in Vizag. It will be cut to six minutes depending on demand. Metro rail is environmentally friendly and offers a number of benefits, including shorter travel times, lower costs, and no accidents.