INDIA: A 5·4 km northeastern extension of Nagpur’s Orange Line and an 8·9 km eastern extension of the Aqua Line were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 11.
The extension of the Orange Line links Kasturchand Park with Automotive Square. There are four stations on this section and one more is still to open. The Aqua Line section runs from the interchange between the two corridors at Sitabuldi to Prajapati Nagar, and serves Nagpur main line station. There are eight stations on the new section with one more still under construction.
The two openings mark the completion of phase one of the city’s metro development programme. The Orange Line is now 19·7 km long, and the Aqua Line 18·6 km. Both are mostly elevated with short sections at grade; development of the network has cost Rs86·5bn.
During the celebrations at Khapri station, Modi laid a foundation stone marking the start of phase two, which will extend both lines at a cost of Rs67bn.
The Orange Line would gain a further 18·6 km running south from Khapri to MIDC ESR and 13 km in the east from Automotive Square to Kanhan.
The Aqua Line will be extended eastwards by 5·5 km from Prajapati Nagar to Transport Nagar, and by 6·7 km from Lokmanya Nagar to Hingna in the west of the city.
