J&K administration suggests Srinagar, Jammu Metro lines

The Jammu and Kashmir administration had proposed the construction of two metro lines in the region. Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, J&K, stated that the proposal had been sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for ministerial consultation. Sinha further mentioned that J&K currently lacked a metro line, and if approved, these would be the first metro lines in the region. The introduction of these metro lines was expected to enhance the public transportation system in both Srinagar and Jammu. Sinha explained that a traditional metro line similar to Delhi's was not feasible for J&K, so a MetroLite system was proposed instead. He stated that there had been discussions regarding the approval of a MetroNeo system for Srinagar and Jammu, but the focus at present was on implementing the MetroLite system. The proposed plan consisted of a 25 km metro line in Srinagar and a 23 km metro line in Jammu. In December 2021, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs provided a written reply to the Lok Sabha, revealing that Srinagar and Jammu were among the five cities whose respective governments had sought financial assistance from the central government. The Ministry defined MetroLite as a light urban rail transit system with lower capacity and reduced costs. Additionally, the operation and maintenance expenses for MetroLite were expected to be lower, making the system more economically viable. The cost-effectiveness of the MetroLite and MetroNeo systems compared to traditional high-capacity metro rail systems is attributed to their lightweight civil structures, lower axle load, smaller stations, lower-rated electrical equipment, and reduced operation and maintenance costs. These systems can also serve as feeder systems for conventional metro rail networks. Also read: Telangana unveils plans to expand Hyderabad Metro network MMRDA eases traffic by removing 84 km barricades from Mumbai Metro