Saturday, 19 December, 2015, 16 : 00 PM [IST] UP-Uttarakhand govts mull Dehradun-Delhi metro to boost tourism Intra-city metro between Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh also being considered

As per a report by Deep Joshi in Hindustan Times, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh may soon join hands to set up a Metro rail link between Dehradun and Delhi which will boost tourism and cut travel time between the two capitals by half, Rakesh Sharma, Chief Principal Secretary,  Uttarakhand said. Besides the Delhi-Dehradun Metro service, the state has also planned an intra-city metro project which will link the state’s three tourism-intensive cities in the state—Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh. Talks are on with the Uttar Pradesh government in this regard as the proposed Metro railroad will route through a number of UP towns before terminating at Dehradun, he said. All the finer modalities of the plan would be drafted after due consultations on various issues between the two states. The project will not only work as a solution to traffic congestion in both the states but also provide an eco-friendly mode of transport to Delhi, Dehradun and UP travellers, Sharma said. He expressed optimism that the project would help boost tourism traffic among the linked cities.  Both the projects will be handled by a soon-to-be set up Urban Infrastructure and Buildings Corporation, Sharma said, adding that the work on both the projects would start within six months. He said the intra-city project was part of an environment-friendly rapid transport system that will connect the golden triangle (Dehradun, Rishikesh and Haridwar). It would run both underground and overhead, depending upon the factors, like traffic congestion. “The (transport) system could also be modelled on the one being used in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand and Dubai,” he said. The schemes, Sharma said, were being implemented in view of the infrastructural requirements of the proposed centrally-sponsored Smart City project for Dehradun. Referring to the intra-city rapid transport system, he said that two separate corridors would be developed as part of the project. “One of these corridors (besides the metro link) would facilitate road connectivity which would be smoother than what it is at present,” Sharma said. (Source Hindustan Times/ travelbizmonitor.com)