Not long ago, Delhiites had an aggrieved view of public transport, but their animosity witnessed a complete full-stop with the awakening of the Metro Era. Delhi Metro came as a boon to millions of people in Delhi, thence, becoming the citys lifeline. Now is the time to share another upcoming success story of development that of Uttar Pradeshs own Metro Rail.
Garlanded by the two pious rivers of Indian mythology, namely the Ganga and the Yamuna, Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become the biggest tourist attraction in India with proper transport facilities in place. In an attempt to bridge this transport gap, the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) was developed.
Errant, reckless and rash bus drivers, showing no signs of courtesy, even to the elderly, have made commuting throughout India a painfully daunting task. These tendencies also dominated the mural of India’s sugar-bowl state of UP. But, times are changing, thanks to the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government.
Worldwide Acclaim for the LMRC
The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs dream project and his brainchild has been awarded the International Quality Summit (IQS) Award 2016, for the appreciable steps the LMRC has undertaken towards quality improvement, innovation and development in transport networks.
In a ceremony organized in New York, the award was handed to LMRC under the Gold Category by Business Initiative Directions (BID) Group One. The B.I.D. Quality Awards Annual Program, has been created to recognize the prestige of the featured companies, organizations and entrepreneurs. And the LMRC met the criteria for the prestigious award, which includes customer satisfaction, technology, business results and strategic planning. And all this courtesy of the conscientious developmental efforts pursued by Akhilesh Yadav.
The Lucknow Metro Connecting Millions
[su_pullquote align=”right”]The rapid growth of Lucknow, along with the steep rise in its population, necessitated the implementation of the Lucknow Metro Rail Project. [/su_pullquote]
This is just another feather in the LMRCs cap. The Lucknow Metro has been delivering consistent results, and has surpassed all the stringent quality-checks necessary for the success of a project of this magnitude. This project has been conceptualized as an integrated mass public transport system to ensure mobility to the masses. According to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the first phase of the Lucknow Metro will be functional prior to the next Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. The first phase is the 23 Km North-South corridor which will link Lucknow Airport to the city. Furthermore, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, popularly known as the Metro Man is the principal advisor for this project.
3D Mockup of Lucknow Metro unveiled | Photo Courtesy: Lucknow MetroKanpur and Varanasi Rail Projects Expanding Integration
Apart from that, in March this year, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet also approved the Construction of the Kanpur Metro Rail, which will span a distance of 32 Kilometres, with 31 stations. RITES Ltd., which specializes in the field of transport infrastructure, has suggested two corridors in the Kanpur Metro, one of which will run from IIT Kanpur to Naubasta (covering almost 24 Km), and another which will run from the Agriculture University to Barra (covering 8.6 Km).
The Varanasi Metro Rail Project too is slated to start before December, 2016, if it acquires timely approvals and clearances by the concerned departments. Moreover, trial runs for the Lucknow Metro are projected to begin from November, 2016. The ?814 Crores allotted for the Lucknow Rail Project in Akhilesh Yadavs last budget before the Assembly Elections have thus been effectively utilized in a developmental venture which can potentially benefit millions.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurating the First Pier Cap erection corridor of Lucknow Metro | Photo Courtesy: Daily AminWorld-wide recognition has come knocking at Uttar Pradesh and Akhilesh Yadavs doors with these ambitious transport infrastructural projects, along with the prestige that comes from globally renowned awards, such as the IQS Award 2016 won by the LMRC. On winning the award, Shri Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of the LMRC, stated that, International recognition in the form of such a prestigious award is very encouraging for the organisation and the whole team. This is indeed a very proud moment for all of us and the people of Lucknow. We are determined to provide a world class modern state-of-the-art Metro to the city.
The contours of the state will be soon marked by the Metro, whose existence is often considered to be a sure-shot sign of a flourishing, developing state. With progress being made by the Uttar Pradesh Government on all fronts, be it in the field of womens empowerment or healthcare infrastructure, global recognition for the diligent efforts and accomplishments of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government is just the icing on the cake.