| Work Detail |
The Bihar state government has launched plans to establish metro rail connectivity between Patna Junction and Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport to improve infrastructure in the state capital. The state’s Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) has appointed Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) as the consulting agency to extend the Patna Metro Rail project. UDHD Minister Nitin Nabin announced on Sunday that RITES will conduct a survey and prepare a feasibility report for the proposed metro link between the city’s main railway station and the airport. The objective is to integrate the airport with the existing 28-km-long metro alignment, which includes Corridor I (Danapur-Khemnichak) and Corridor II (Patna Station-Patliputra Bus Terminal), Nabin explained. RITES, a public sector undertaking, will also prepare the tentative detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed metro extension. The department selected the firm around ten days ago to design the connection from Patna Junction to the airport via Nehru Path. Patna Junction will serve as the interchange station, linking both metro lines. The consultancy firm is expected to submit the report within two months, which will cover feasibility studies, soil testing, considerations for government buildings, and avoiding disruptions to old structures and water zones, as well as addressing technicalities for elevated and underground sections. A budget of under Rs 5 crore has been allocated for preparing the DPR. Minister Nabin also mentioned plans to eventually extend metro connectivity between Patna Airport and Bihta Airport in the future. Meanwhile, the priority corridor of the Patna Metro project, a 6.49-km-long elevated section of Corridor II (Patna Junction-Inter-State Bus Terminal), is scheduled to begin operations by August 15, 2025. This section will include five stations—Malahi Pakri, Khemnichak (interchangeable), Bhoothnath, Zero Mile, and ISBT. Nabin added that around 80% of civil work on this priority corridor is complete, and more than 85% of the work on the Patna metro rail depot, located at Ramachak Bairiya near the ISBT station, has been finished. The depot, spread across 76 acres of land, is expected to be ready by March. Engineers have begun laying tracks for this section, and a Bengaluru-based company has been tasked with fabricating the metro trains. Initially, four stations—Malahi Pakri, Bhoothnath, Zero Mile, and ISBT—are expected to be operational by August. Khemnichak station, which has faced challenges such as land availability, drainage issues, and traffic congestion, will be ready by October, according to engineers. The metro depot, covering 47.4 acres, will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including two workshop bays, three inspection bays, a testing track, and eight stabling bays to accommodate 32 three-coach trains and an auto-coach washing system. |
