The Department of Urban Development has mooted introduction of Metro rail facilities in the twin cities. The cost of a Metro underground is estimated at Rs400 crore per kilometer while a 40-km railway line would be required to provide connectivity between the two cities.
Meanwhile, Odisha’s Principal Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Injeti Srinivas has written to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Urban Development to approve a proposal to carry out a detailed feasibility study and provide fund of at least 50 per cent of the cost for the study.
Though there are various options under the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS), Metro Rail is preferred by the cities as this is the ideal choice for intra-city transport, said a senior official in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Experts have suggested that the route should run from the Biju Patnaik Airport to Cuttack via Nandankanan, Trisulia and Barang, which would serve as an ideal Metro link between the twin cities.
The five urban centres like Khurda, Jatni, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Choudwar and the adjoining rural hinterland comprise the BCUC. The State Government is making efforts to transform the BCUC as ‘Fast Mover’ leading destination in terms of investment with world-class infrastructure and quality life. It is essential to upgrade the BCUC to the status of a State Capital Region (SCR) on the lines of the National Capital Region (NCR).
The Urban Transport for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan has recommended Rs1.30 lakh crore for Metro Rail projects in 19 cities, except Bhubaneswar.