Varanasi to have metro rail by 2021

VARANASI: The city would have metro rail by 2021 and Banarsis need not worry about traffic jams on account of massive construction activity for the project, an official said on Wednesday. Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency.

VARANASI: The city would have metro rail by 2021 and Banarsis need not worry about traffic jams on account of massive construction activity for the project, an official said on Wednesday. Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency

“We have set a deadline of 2021 for running metro rail in Varanasi. Both the Centre and the state governments are committed to meeting this deadline,” said Piyush Kansal, group general manager of RITES, a central government enterprise, here. He was in the city for a presentation on the project.

RITES has been engaged by the Uttar Pradesh government for preparing detailed project reports for all metro schemes in the state, including Lucknow Metro, considered to be the Samajwadi Party government’s pet project. “In the first phase, the metro rail will cover 26km in Varanasi,” Kansal said.

Three-fourths or 18-19 kilometres of the metro route in Varanasi will be underground due to land constraints in the overcrowded and ancient city. The remaining seven-eight kilometres would be on an elevated track.