Bhubaneswar Metro Phase 1 Project’s Foundation Stone Unveiled

Odisha’s Chief Minister today unveiled the foundation stone for Bhubaneswar Metro‘s Phase 1 project today at an event held in Trishulia Square, north of Bhubaneswar city.

Bhubaneswar Metro’s 26.024 km long Phase 1 will connect Trisulia Square with Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik Airport via 20 elevated stations. Its Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and approved by Odisha’s state government on November 14, 2023 with a 4 year deadline.

The project is estimated to cost Rs. 6225 crore and will be funded entirely by the state government without any funding to be sought from the Central Government. Per Odisha’s CM, this is the single largest investment made in any infrastructure project in the history of Odisha.

The project will be owned by Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation, a fully owned company of the state government.

20 elevated stations are planned to be built at Biju Patnaik Airport, Capital Hospital, Sishu Bhawan, Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneswar Railway Station, Ram Mandir Square, Vani Vihar, Acharya Vihar Square, Jaydev Vihar Square, Xavier Square, Rail Sadan, District Centre, Damana Square, Patia Square, KIIT Square, Nandan Vihar, Raghunathpur, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Phulapokhari and Trisulia.

Here’s a rough / indicative alignment of the project I’ve made based on a couple maps I’ve seen in various official presentations, with terminals and key stations marked:

Back in November 2023, DMRC was appointed as the project’s turn-key consultant to execute the project. They’ve so far published two tender notices – the first to construct staff quarters (won by NBCC), and the second to construct a boundary wall around a 18.50 hectare parcel for hosting Phulapokhari Depot in north Bhubaneswar. It’s an extremely low-value tender, so it’s not on my tracking radar.

A Detailed Design Consultant (DDC) is yet to be appointed for designing the line’s civil, architectural, electrical & mechanical (E&M) works. Now that the foundation stone has been unveiled, I believe the DDC’s tender notice should be around the corner.

At this time, I see construction work easily being at least 10 months away from starting. When that happens, Bhubaneswar Metro will become India’s 22nd metro rail system to enter the construction stage.

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– TMRG