Andhra Pradesh upgrades Metro Rail project for two cities

The Andhra Pradesh government granted metro rail DPRs for Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, launching transformative projects under the PPP model.

The state government has authorised the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Vijayawada metro rail project, as well as the phase-I implementation of the Visakhapatnam metro rail.

According to Secretary K. Kanna Babu, the metro train construction in phase I will cost ₹ 11,498 crore (excluding land expenses). This will consist of three corridors totalling 46.23 kilometres. Corridor-1 would connect Steel Plant Junction and Kommadi (34.40 km), Corridor-2 will connect Gurudwara and the Old Post Office (5.08 km), and Corridor-3 will connect Tadichetlapalem and Chinna Waltair (6.75 km).

As part of phase II, a fourth corridor will connect Kommadi to Bhogapuram (30.67 km). The project, which spans 76.90 kilometres, is expected to cost ₹ 14,309 crore in total. The project will be implemented using a Viability Gap Finance (VGF) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with the central government providing 40 percent finance and a private developer providing 60 percent.

The government also cleared the Phase I DPR for the Vijayawada Metro Rail Project, which would be submitted to the Centre. Corridors 1A and 1B, which stretch 38.40 km, will be developed as part of Phase I at an estimated cost of ₹ 11,009 crore, with the state government allocating ₹ 1,152 crore for land acquisition. Corridor 1A will go from Gannavaram to PNBS, and Corridor 1B will connect PNBS to Penamaluru. Phase II will feature a third corridor (27.75 km) connecting PNBS to Amaravati’s reservoir station, which will be completed later.

The Centre already provided in-principle approval for a feasibility study and DPR preparation for metro rail in the VGTMUDA (Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority) region, with an emphasis on viable lines. Following the announcement of the New Metro Rail Policy, the Central Government returned the DPR to the State Government, instructing them to resubmit it in accordance with the amended criteria.

In response, APMRCL contracted France-based Systra Consultants through German bank KfW to create a revised DPR that complied with the new guideline. To streamline the process, the government established a Steering Committee, chaired by MAUD Minister P Narayana, to study technical reports and make recommendations.

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