Surat: A team of Franco-German firm officials will pay a final visit to Surat next week for finalization of finance formalities for the Surat Metro Rail Project. It is expected that the 38-km long two-phased rail project with 38 rail stations will commence in May and get completed in 36 months.

Municipal commissioner of Surat, Banchhanidhi Pani said, “The team’s final visit is slotted for next week and once that is done and the government decides, work on the ground will get underway in another three to four months.”

Gujarat Rail Metro Rail Corporation Limited is implementing the Rs12,020 crore project. A 10-member team comprising five members each from German development bank KFW and French development bank AFD who have been working in tandem to finance a number of developmental projects across the world, visited Surat in June 2019 .

The two-corridor project costing Rs12,020 crore will have 20 per cent equity from government of Gujarat, 20 per cent from government of India and the remaining 60 per cent by multi-lateral finance institutes.

The two corridors that are planned for running metro rail include a route which starts from Sarthana and reaches Dream city in Khajod. It is basically designed to cater to thousands of diamond workers from Varachha and Katargam to reach dream city via old city.

The second route of Saroli to Bhesan is designed to provide alternate transport to large working class of the city to travel to their places of work from west and Udhna zone.

Projects revised Detailed Planned report (DPR) says that development of four of the 38 rail stations will be done by local body on PPP basis. The cost of development of a station is estimated at Rs111 crore. The four elevated stations that will be developed by SMC include Rupali canal and Althan Tenement stations on corridor no-1 and Aquarium and Athwa Chowpaty stations that is in corridor no-2.

Under the revised DPR, it has been made clear that the comprehensive mobility plan has been made for 30 years, keeping in mind the population of the city. Maintenance and operation of the project will be done through PPP and systems like automated fare collection and station administration will be managed that way. Transit-oriented development will take place through sale of additional floor space Index (FSI) for additional income and SMC will have percentage partnership as a local body.

