India's mass transit revolution

Metro systems under development in cities in India are outlined. The earliest rail-based system was built in Kolkata, where a new 13.7km East-West corridor is under construction to connect Howrah to Salt Lake Sector V and the existing north-south metro line. Further plans include an extension to Newtown in the east, while extensions to Domjur in the west and a new link to the airport are under consideration. In Mumbai around 80% of journeys in the city are made using public transport, mainly by train and bus; the closure of the tramway in the 1960s is now seen as a major planning error. A detailed feasibility study has recommended a mass transit corridor from Andheri to Ghatkopar as potentially economically viable and a metro masterplan has been prepared, including an extension of this recommendation to Versova. The plan is to build a 146.5-km rapid transit system and work on the first line has begun. In Bangalore construction of the metro system began in 2007with East-West and North-south lines but is running behind schedule. Costs of construction are high because of the soil conditions which include rocks below the surface. A high-speed rail link to the airport is also being built. In Chennai, a multi-modal transport system is needed to tackle the unprecedented rise in the numbers of private vehicles. Seven transport corridors have been prioritised including access to Chennai International airport. The metro project is to be integrated with other modes of public transport and is intended to reduce the commute time by 75% from one end of the city to the other. Construction plans for a metro in Hyderabad are outlined, including a 71.16km first phase with construction to start in January 2011. The financing of these schemes and the rolling stock to be purchased are described.