Construction of the Phase 1A line begun on 27 September 2014 with the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) stretch from Transport Nagar to Charbagh which began its commercial operation on 5 September 2017.[6] Full operation on Red Line stretch from CCS International Airport to Munshi Pulia began operation on 9 March 2019. The Lucknow metro project is the most expensive transport system in Uttar Pradesh to date with an estimated total cost for Phase 1A (Red Line) and 1B (Blue Line) of about $2 billion, of which ₹6,928 crore (US$870 million) was spent on phase 1A.[8]
The Government of Uttar Pradesh Approved the construction of 11.165 km long East-West Corridor between Vasant Kunj to Charbagh, Phase 1B Blue Line at an estimated budget of ₹5,881 crore (US$740 million) in January 2024.[9][10][11]
Lucknow Metro achieved its highest ever ridership of 1.30 lakh passengers since its inception in 2017 on 1st January 2024 which surpassed the previous record of 93,237 passengers set on 25th December 2023. [12]
History
The original design of the metro project included one north-south and one east-west corridor, with links through Gomti Nagar. Estimated costs for the north-south corridor were ₹5,413 crore (equivalent to ₹110 billion or US$1.4 billion in 2023), ₹3,611 crore (equivalent to ₹74 billion or US$930 million in 2023) for the east-west corridor and ₹495 crore (equivalent to ₹10 billion or US$130 million in 2023) for the link through Gomti Nagar.[13] The initial layout of the east-west corridor started from Rajajipuram and ended at Hahnemann, after passing through Gomti Nagar via Hazratganj and Patrakarpuram, a distance of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi). However, in 2010 the design was changed so the corridor started from Vasant Kunj and terminated at Charbagh, a revised distance of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi).[14]
The metro could accommodate speeds up to 90 km/h (56 mph) but the typical usage would be at speeds of 34 km/h (21 mph) for the north–south corridor and 32 km/h (20 mph) for the east–west corridor. Originally, the metro trains were to be housed in one of two depots, a 20 hectares (49 acres) depot at Vasant Kunj and another at the airport, but due to security concerns the airport depot was removed from the plan.[19]
In 2013, a report published by the Department of Housing and Urban Planning of the Government of Uttar Pradesh resulted in major changes to the metro project. The two corridor design was scrapped and replaced with one featuring a denser network of connectivity. This revision resulted in the layout of route being entirely elevated with no underground sections. The increased coverage of the metro would raise the cost of the project but reduced the operating cost per km. The reduction in operating cost is impacted by the difference in construction costs of the line itself, one km of overhead track costs ₹180 crore (US$23 million) as compared to ₹550 crore (US$69 million) for an underground track. The underground design also raised concerns about safety as well as increased energy consumption. The report also proposed the construction of an elevated Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) as a feeder service to the metro.[20]
September 2008: DMRC submits a concept paper after the Lucknow metro rail project is proposed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh headed by chief minister Mayawati.
February 2009: An agreement is signed between DMRC and LDA.[21]
October 2013: LMRC, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) is formed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to build and operate the Lucknow Metro.[26] The SPV is incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 on 25 November 2013.[26] Construction Phase to begin in December.[26][27]
November 2013: DMRC submits tender for Lucknow Metro work, promises to complete the first phase by Feb 2017.[28]
March 2014: Foundation stone laid for Lucknow Metro project.
10 July 2014: ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹160 crore or US$20 million in 2023) set aside for Lucknow Metro in the union budget, by Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley.[30]
Red Line
27 September 2014: Construction begins on the Lucknow Metro.[31]
6 August 2015: Lucknow Metro receives clearance from Public Investment Board (PIB) of Government of India.[32][33]
22 December 2015: Union Cabinet approves construction of Rail Project Phase - 1A.[34][8]
20 June 2017: Fifth metro train set arrives at Transport Nagar depot.[40]
8 July 2017: Sixth and final metro train set arrives for first phase requirement.[41]
27–28 July 2017: The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CMRS) performs on-site inspection to confirm readiness of the Metro for service.[42]
29 August 2017: Inauguration ceremony, on 5 September 2017, confirmed. Announcement that metro trains will run between Transport Nagar and Charbagh.[43][44]
23 February 2019: Work on whole of North-South Corridor (Red Line) completed, CMRS approves for commercial run. Full line to be inaugurated on 8 March 2019.[48][49][50]
8 March 2019: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates full stretch of Red Line of Lucknow Metro.[51]
January 2024: The Government of Uttar Pradesh has planned extension of the Red Line from CCS Airport to SGPGI, Lucknow on one end and from Munshipuliya to Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow on the other end.[52][53]
Blue Line
August 2019: Modified DPR is yet to be approved by state government and also LMRC is yet to get land for Metro deport which is to come up near upcoming Vasant Kunj.[54]
January 2024: The Government of Uttar Pradesh Approved the construction of 11.165 km long East-West Corridor between Vasant Kunj to Charbagh, Blue Line which is also known as Phase 1B, at an estimated budget of ₹5,881 crore (US$740 million) in January 2024 with an expected completion timeline of 2029.[55][56]
On 5 October 2015, Alstom was awarded a ₹1,102 crore (equivalent to ₹17 billion, US$210 million or €200 million in 2023) contract to construct twenty four car EMU for Phase 1A, based on their Metropolis design.
The vehicles are to be constructed at Alstom's factory in Sricity, Andhra Pradesh.[60][61]
Inside view of a coach of Lucknow Metro Manufactured by Alstom
Station facilities
WiFi is available at each station with free access for smart card holders. Other services include free purified drinking water and free toilets.[62][63]
Typical view of platform of Lucknow Metro (In picture Singar Nagar station)
Security
Lucknow Metro's security is based on a hybrid model. The Lucknow City Police, which has raised a dedicated squad of 393 personnel for this purpose from PAC, provides general security, which includes frisking, scanning, maintaining and having quick response teams (QRT) as per security norms,[65][66][67] while a private security agency provides operational security, which including maintaining hygiene of the station and ensuring that people queue properly.[65][66][67]
Smart Cards and Tokens are available from Ticket Counters for travelling.
Ridership
The cumulative ridership of the metro rail in Lucknow crossed 1 million in the first 70 days of commercial operation;[71] the rapid-transit system received 31,688 passengers on its inaugural day of services, and recorded a ridership of 41,075 on 10 September.
As of June 2018[update], the daily ridership of Lucknow Metro ranges between 10,000 and 11,000;[72][73] with monthly ridership being 480,000 in September 2017, 400,000 in October 2017, 300,000 in November and December 2017, and around 300,000 in January, February, March and April 2018. As of 2019, as many as 60,000 people are using metro service on a daily basis in Lucknow.[1]
Lucknow Metro achieved its highest ever ridership of 1.30 lakh passengers since its inception in 2017 on 1st January 2024 which surpassed the previous record of 93,237 passengers set on 25th December 2023. [74]
In popular culture
In January 2017, Hindi film Behen Hogi Teri became the first film to shoot scenes on the metro premises.[75]
Awards
Lucknow Metro was awarded 2nd Place for 'Best Metro for Excellence in Innovative Designs' at 5th Annual Metro Rail Summit in New Delhi behind the Delhi Metro. It competed against the other metro projects of the country like Mumbai Metro, Jaipur Metro etc.[76]
Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation won the Dun & Bradstreet Infra Award in 2017 in the Metro Rail category for completing "Priority Corridor" of the North –South Corridor (Phase 1A) and commissioning the project in a record time of less than three years. .[78][79]
Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation won the International 'Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' (RoSPA) Award. LMRC was given the Silver Award for its Phase 1A (North-South Corridor) in the Project/Infrastructure category for the year 2018.[80]
Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation was certified with the highest green rating (i.e. the Platinum Rating) by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).[81]
Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation has International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001: 2004 & Occupational Health & Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001: 2007 certificates in recognition of the organisation's integrated management system in compliance with ISO & OHSAS standards and requirements.[82]
Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation was awarded the "Best Urban Mass Transit" project during the 10th Urban Mobility India Conference & Exhibition and CODATU XVII Conference under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs at Hyderabad, Telangana in November 2017.[83]
Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation's managing director, Kumar Keshav,[84] was awarded with the 'Shaan-E-Lucknow' award by the organisers of the Lucknow Book Fair and a special postal envelope cover bearing the logo, symbol and mnemonic of Lucknow Metro was released.[85]
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