Metro Rail: The Dream of Vijayawada Residents Takes Its First Step Toward Reality

Vijayawada: The dream of a metro rail in Vijayawada has been long-awaited by the residents since the state bifurcation. There have been numerous announcements in the past, but now the first step toward making this metro dream a reality has been taken. The state government recently gave a green signal for land acquisition for the Vijayawada Metro project. With this, metro stations will be coming up across the city and its outskirts. Efforts are now underway to assess how much land will be required for the project.

To fulfill the metro dream of Andhra Pradesh residents, the state government has ramped up efforts. As part of this, preparations are being made to set up a metro coach depot near Keserapalli, close to Gannavaram in Krishna district. The metro line will start from there and extend all the way to PNBS (Peddagantyada) in Vijayawada, forming a key corridor in the first phase of the project. This 26-kilometer stretch will cover areas like Gannavaram, Gudivada, Nidamanuru, Prasadampadu, and Ramavarappadu Chowrasta, along the National Highway. It will then take a turn onto Eluru Road, passing through Gundal, Machavaram, Besant Road, and the Railway Station, finally reaching PNBS. The second corridor will extend to Penamaluru and will start from PNBS. This 12.5 km route will connect key areas like Autonagar, Benz Circle, and Indira Gandhi Stadium in Vijayawada, which are highly congested.

In the first phase, 34 metro stations will be set up, and land acquisition for the coach depot will require up to 91 acres. The authorities have already prepared plans to acquire 30 acres of land in Vijayawada. They have identified the necessary areas for land acquisition in key regions of Vijayawada, including revenue wards and survey numbers. Proposals are ready to build metro stations in busy areas with minimal land acquisition to avoid inconvenience. Land acquisition will be needed in areas covered by survey numbers in revenue wards 8, 9, 10, 11, and 16 in Vijayawada.

Since the rural areas of Krishna district are less congested, land acquisition there may not face major hurdles. After passing through Vijayawada, efforts are being made to acquire land in Krishna district, covering Gannavaram and Penamaluru. A total of 34 stations will be set up in the first phase, with 20 stations in Vijayawada (NTR district) and 14 stations in Krishna district (from Gannavaram to Penamaluru). A 38.4 km metro line will be constructed across two routes, converging at PNBS in Vijayawada.