With PM Narendra Modi’s led NDA government recently clearing the decks for the Surat Metro Train Project (SMTP), Surat is all set to get its own Metro Rail soon, marking Gujarat’s second metro rail project, after the recently launched Ahmedabad Metro.

Implemented by the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC), the SMTP will be overseen by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and should be completed in five years. The two metro corridors (measuring 40 kms), stands at an estimated cost of Rs. 12,020 crores. The project will be financed equally by the Central and State governments; with loans availed from bilateral and multilateral agencies. Corridor-1 of the SMTP will be 21.61 km long with 20 metro stations in areas including Sarthana, Nature Park, Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk area, Central Warehouse, Surat Railway Station, Maskati Hospital, Gandhi Baug, Majura Gate, Roopali Canal and Dream City. The second corridor will be 18.74 kms long, with 18 stations in areas including Bhesan, Palanpur road, LP Savani School, Adajan Gam, Ugat Vaarigruh, Aquarium, Majuragate, Kamela Darwaza, Magob and Saroli.

With Surat already listed in the category of Smart City project, the SMTP aims at providing continuous availability of affordable, reliable, safe and seamless transport where Surat residents or commuters will get eco-friendly and sustainable public transport. The project will have multi-modal integration – Surat metro will have a feeder network of buses, intermediate public transport (IPT) and non-motorized transport (NMT).