SURAT – In an ambitious urban development move ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Surat Metro Rail Project, a plan endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is on track to begin operations. The metro route from Sarthana to Dream City is slated to become operational before the year ends, giving the city of Surat an added layer to its identity.
Amidst bustling construction activity, the Surat metro expansion is progressing at an accelerated pace. The city will soon see the construction of two corridors to facilitate both underground and elevated metro trains. According to the timeline, the elevated line connecting Dream City to Sarthana, and from Dream City to Kadarshah Nal Chowkbazar, is expected to be operational by December 2023. The completion of the entire Pura Route is anticipated by December 2024, with the goal of wrapping up both Sarthana to Dream City and Bhensan to Saroli corridors by March 2025.
Yogendra Singh Chauhan, a senior Metro engineer, shared insights into the underground tunnel development, a vital component of the project. With the assistance of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) provided by GMRC, the first TBM was launched in September by the Gulmark agency to construct the 1.2 km tunnel from Kapodra to Labheshwar Chowk. A second TBM has been employed to create an adjacent track. While both corridors are set to be functional by March 2025, the Sarthana to Dream City line will be up and running by December 2023.
The Metro Rail Project, advancing at a rapid speed, is poised to reshape the urban face of Surat city. A significant portion of this includes an underground metro route, construction for which is nearing completion. The first of the two corridors will connect Sarthana to Dream City, while the second will join Bhensan to Saroli. Among the total 40.35 km of both Surat Metro Rail routes, the 21.61 km stretch linking Sarthana to Dream City has seen substantial progress.
Nicknamed as the Diamond Corridor, the Sarthana to Dream City route will be a major artery in the city's transport system. Meanwhile, the Bhensan to Saroli route, rich in cloth markets and referred to as the Textile Corridor, will commence in the second phase. This phase includes an 18.84 km corridor that will integrate the areas of Udhna Darwaza, Kamela Darwaza, Anjana Farm, Model Town, and Magob.
The Surat Metro project aims to redefine the city's transport infrastructure, aligning with Surat's stature as a rapidly growing urban centre.
