Kanpur Metro has faced criticism for its low ridership on its partially opened route. It had daily average ridership of only 8,000 to 10,000 passengers a day. But on the other hand it is believed than once the entire IIT Kanpur - Naubasta corridor is entirely functional, then Kanpur Metro will witness a significant jump in daily ridership, on this section alone.[2]
The feasibility study for the project was done by RITES in June 2015. The government approved two corridors as per Detailed Project Report (DPR). The tenders were floated for the priority section of corridor-1 between IIT KanpurtoMotijheel. The company Afcons Infrastructure was awarded the tender.
On 28 February 2019, the Central Government approved the metro project for Kanpur at an estimated cost of ₹ 11,076.48 crores and a five-year time limit.[3][4] Construction work began on 15 November 2019, with the first section opening in December 2021. In phase 1, the Orange Line began with the 8.98 km (5.3 mi) stretch from IIT KanpurtoMotijheel. The metro will be extendable in the following phases to the Kanpur metropolitan area.
In Phase 1, 21 metro stations will be built on Orange Line from IIT Kanpur to Naubasta and 8 metro stations will be built on Blue Line from Agriculture University to Barra-8.[6]
The trains operate at a frequency of five minutes between 06:00 am and 10:00 pm currently which will gradually reduce with ridership. The trains will operate with ATO over CBTC, with a design speed of 90 km/h and an operational speed of 80 km/h. Automated station announcements are recorded in Hindi and English. Many stations will have services such as ATMs, food outlets, cafés, convenience stores and mobile recharge. Eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum are prohibited in the entire system.
State Bank of India and Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has introduced Kanpur Metro GoSmart Card to metro passengers.[8]
Through this Metro card service, passengers can travel without the hassle of being in the ticket queue. An EVM chip based card can be recharged in a range of Rs.100 to Rs.2000 and in multiples of 100. Metro passengers can get 10% off on their fares if transactions are made through cards.
Elevated viaduct work has begun, more than 400 out of 538 pillars have been constructed and all the 439 double T-girders have been erected for making the base of the 9 stations of priority corridor. The pier caps and U-girders are being erected and construction work is going in full swing. The priority section of corridor-1 became operational in December 2021.[9]
In July 2020, Bombardier Transportation (acquired by Alstom) won the Agra Metro and Kanpur Metro rolling stock, and the signalling contract and manufacturing started on 26 Feb 2021. UPMRC's Managing Director Shri Kumar Keshav inaugurated the Rolling Stocks (Metro Trains) manufacturing in Bombardier's Savli Plant in Gujarat, located near Vadodara.
Kanpur to get total 39 trains of 3 Metro coaches (which would total up to 117 compartments) each for both the corridors of the Kanpur Metro Project, including Corridor-I i.e. From IIT to Naubasta and Corridor-II i.e. From Agriculture University to Barra-8. These trains have been designed with assistance from Bombardier Germany and design experts at Bombardier's Hyderabad office.
The trains are in line with utmost passenger safety and energy conservation, and each train is equipped with Communication Based Train Control System (CBTC) for Automatic Train Operations. These ultramodern trains have a state-of-the-art design for safe operation, energy efficiency and passenger comfort. These trains will also be equipped with CO2 sensor-based air-conditioning system to save energy during operations.
Valued at approximately ₹2051 crore (245 Mn EUR), Alstom's scope on the Agra-Kanpur metro project includes – the design, build and delivery of total 201 metro cars (67 MOVIA metro three-car trainsets) and an advanced signalling solution (CITYFLO 650).
Sep 2017: Civil engineering work comes to a halt. Central Govt has asked Kanpur Metro to rework the detailed project report and finances and asked to make it a public-private partnership model project.[18]
Oct 2017: Work on preparing new detailed project report started. The new report is to take approximately three months.[19]
Apr 2018: Center yet to approve of the Kanpur Metro project.[20]
Sep 2018: Detailed Project Report sent by Uttar Pradesh Government to the central government.[21]
Feb 2019: Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹175 crores to start preliminary work in budget, as of 7 February.[22]
Feb 2019: Centre approved Kanpur Metro costing ₹ 11076.48 crores with the time limit of 5 years in construction, as of 28 February.[3]
Jul 2019: UPMRC invites tender for construction of elevated track and stations.[citation needed]
Aug 2019: The metro route alignment is to be changed to avoid demolition of some portions of GSVM Medical College.[23]
Sep 2019: Afcons Infra awarded tender to construct 9 stations along with tracks and elevated viaduct, as of 6 September.[citation needed]
Sep 2019: Afcons Infra and UPMRC conduct a thorough route inspection from IIT to Motijheel for the construction of track and metro station, as of 20 September.[citation needed]
Sep 2019: UPMRC razes the polytechnic hostels for depot construction, as of 22 September.[24]
Oct 2019: UPMRC and Afcons Infra begin with pillar construction for elevated track in front of the National Sugar Institute.[25]
Nov 2019: Yogi Adityanath, the CM of Uttar Pradesh, formally inaugurates civil work for Kanpur Metro.[26]
Feb 2020: Yogi Adityanath, the CM of Uttar Pradesh, allocates a budget of ₹ 358 crores towards Kanpur Metro phase 1. Construction is in full swing as UPMRC aims to complete phase 1 at a faster pace, as compared to Lucknow Metro, as of 19 February.[27]
Feb 2020: UPMRC invited bids for installation of Traction System (Package I &II), as of 20 September.[citation needed]
Mar 2020: Afcons Infra erected the first pier cap in record time. Construction is 3 months ahead as compared to Lucknow Metro, which is accredited with the title of being the fastest metro construction in India, as of 2 March.[28]
Mar 2020: UPMRCL opened bids for the General Consultant contract to reveal a total of 2 bidders, as of 13 March.[29]
Jun 2020: TYPSA - Italferr JV wins the General Consultant contract for Kanpur Metro.[30]
July 2020: UPMRC floats tenders for construction of underground section till Nayaganj, as of 15 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2020: UPMRC places a double T- girder on IIT Kanpur Metro Station, as of 24 July.[citation needed]
Sep 2020: EIB to invest 650mn Euros for Kanpur Metro, as of 1 September.[citation needed]
Sep 2020: Shapoorji Pallonji Group's subsidiary Sterling & Wilson Pvt. Ltd. in a consortium with Russia’s GSC Construction Company won Kanpur Metro's 750 Volts DC Third Rail Electrification Bid for Corridor-1 & 2, as of 2 September.[1]
Oct 2020: 100th U-girder erected. A total of 638 U-girders are to be placed for the priority corridor between IIT Kanpur & Motijheel.[31]
Jan 2021: 400 piers out of 513 piers for the priority corridor constructed. 332 T-girders constructed out of total number of 434 T-girders to be constructed for priority corridor.[32]
Feb 2021: Uttar Pradesh budget 2021-22 allocates ₹ 597 cr for Kanpur metro rail project.[33]
May 2021: The base of the elevated metro track for the 5 km stretch of the 9 km long priority section from IIT to Motijheel of Kanpur Metro has been prepared. There is 622 U-girder erection in this section, out of which 400 U-Girder erection has been done. The construction of the IIT Metro Station almost completed and finishing work is also in the final stage. Along with the metro station prepared the installation of signals and electrical equipment are started. UPMRC successfully erected the 45-meter steel span girder at Rawatpur Tiraha.[citation needed]
May 2021: On this day, UPMRC made another step in the Kanpur Metro project and introduced ballast-less track casting. The first crossover point (track changing point) was cast in the Kanpur Metro Project, as of 11 May.[citation needed]
May 2021: On this day, achievement has been added to the name of Kanpur Metro. The 9 km long Priority Corridor being built from IIT to Motijheel received ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certificate. Priority Corridor has received ISO 14001 Certificate for Environment Management and 45001 Certificate for Safety Management, as of 18 May.[citation needed]
May 2021: UPMRC achieved another major engineering excellence in Kanpur Metro Project. The UP Metro engineer coordinated the Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (UPPTCL), erected a safe and successful 4 U-girders after raising the height of 220kV high voltage power transmission line on GT Road, as of 19 May.[citation needed]
May 2021: Preliminary work has commenced for the 8.621 km underground section of Kanpur Metro Rail Project. After performing Bhoomi Pujan, the team of engineers started work at the proposed Naveen Market metro station, which is a part of Corridor-1 of Kanpur MRTS Project, as of 26 May.[citation needed]
Jun 2021: 500th U-girder has been erected successfully by the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) for the 9 km long Priority Corridor, running from IIT Kanpur to Motijheel. The first U-girder was erected in August last year, and the 500th U-girder was placed in less than a year, i.e., only in 312 days. The casting of these U-girders is carrying out at the Lakhanpur Casting Yard, and now only 38 more U-Girders are left to be cast, as of 22 June.[citation needed]
Jun 2021: Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has completed the track laying work for a stretch of around 1 km, from IIT Kanpur to Kalyanpur Railway station for the 9 km long Priority Corridor, running from IIT Kanpur to Motijheel of Kanpur Metro Rail Project, as of 24 June.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: The installation work of seven major and biggest machines in Kanpur Metro Depot has started with the installation of a Fully Automatic CNC Under the Floor Pit Wheel Length Machine (for rail wheel turning), as of 3 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: The construction of IIT Metro Station, the first metro station of the priority section of Kanpur Metro, is almost complete and this metro station has been decorated in a special way. The walls of the IIT Metro station depict engineering and technology with exquisite architectural artwork from the outside, as of 6 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: Along with the construction of Kanpur Metro, the UP Metro Administration has also started the reconstruction of the roads which are becoming damaged and potholed, as of 9 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: In the priority section of Kanpur Metro, the testing of the load-bearing capacity of the elevated track started, as of 11 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: The track laying work from IIT to SPM metro station in the priority section of Kanpur Metro has been completed. With this, the track laying work including ballast at Metro Depot at Polytechnic has also been completed 65 percent, as of 22 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: To weld the tracks, Flash Butt Welding Plant was lifted by crane and brought to the elevated viaduct, as of 23 July.[citation needed]
Jul 2021: A total of 29 metro stations of both the corridors of the Kanpur Metro Project will be known by their common names, as well as unique code names. These unique code names has been approved by Indian Railways, as of 28 July.[citation needed]
Aug 2021: Alstom to deliver first trainset for Kanpur Metro by September. The rakes are being made fully in India at Alstom's manufacturing plant in Savli, Gujarat, as of 10 August.[34]
Aug 2021: UPMRC finishes 85% of construction in the priority corridor from IIT to Motijheel, as of 13 August.[35]
Aug 2021: Trial run for the metro trains on the priority corridor is decided to conduct on 15 November, as of 26 August.[36]
Aug 2021: UPMRC finishes 95% of construction in the priority corridor from IIT to Motijheel, as of 29 August.[37]
Aug 2021: Alstom confirms to deliver first trainset of Kanpur Metro by 15 September. The metro coaches will be loaded on road trailers, and will be flagged off for Kanpur on September 5 from Alstom's manufacturing plant at Savli, Gujarat. The journey is expected to last 10–12 days, slating the arrival of carriages in the city by 15 September, as of 31 August.[38]
Sep 2021: UPMRC erects 600th U-Girder of priority section last night, 8.5 km elevated viaduct ready out of 9 km, as of 11 September.[39]
Sep 2021: Alstom delivers first trainset for Kanpur Metro, which are fully indigenously manufactured at Alstom's manufacturing plant, from Savli, Gujarat, as of 18 September.[40]
Oct 2021: The second leg of Phase-I of metro construction work between Chunniganj and Nayaganj will commence from Monday, as of 11 October.[41]
Oct 2021: Eight firms bid for ₹ 1,250 crore underground construction contract for Kanpur Metro, as of 17 October.[42]
Oct 2021: Alstom delivers second trainset for Kanpur Metro, as of 20 October.[43]
Oct 2021: The first metro trainset was taken as a trial run from the assembling area to depot. Testing of the trainset's doors and signals were also taken, as of 25 October.[44]
Oct 2021: First trial of the trainset conducted on the priority corridor from depot to University Metro Station, as of 30 October.[45]
Nov 2021: CM Yogi Adityanath to flag off Kanpur Metro trial run on the entire priority Corridor on 10 November, as of 8 November.[46]
Nov 2021: CM Yogi Adityanath flags off Kanpur Metro trial run on the entire priority corridor. Daily commercial operations on the priority corridor will begin from 31 December, as of 10 November.[47][48]
Dec 2021: PM Modi inaugurated the start of commercial operations of Kanpur Metro on 28 December.[5][9]
