Tricity metro: 77 km under Phase 1

The Punjab and Haryana governments, along with representatives of the Chandigarh administration, held a meeting during which they revised and approved a Metro network in the Tricity in the first phase from the previous 66 km to around 77 km.The three administrations also unilaterally decided to assign work to RITES for compiling a detailed project report and an annual analysis report for the project. A senior official of the UT administration, after meeting, stated that most of the project will be overground, but a final decision regarding the same will be taken during the preparation of the DPR.As per the new plan approved, of the 77 km stretch under Phase 1, Chandigarh will see 35 km of Metro network, Panchkula will have 11 km, and Mohali/New Chandigarh will have 31 km. The first phase of the network will be developed from 2027 to 2037.As per details, during the meeting, both Punjab and Haryana governments jointly suggested that more area be brought under Phase 1 of the Metro. After this, a distance of nearly 6 km from Paroul in New Chandigarh to Sarangpur, and about a 5 km stretch from Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Extension in Sector 20 was approved to be included in Phase 1 of the Metro rail project. The additional 11 km added will see multiple major destinations in the area being covered, an official said.