US$ 176 million for Jaipur metro extension

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of US$ 176 million to extend the first metro line in Jaipur, India, and to support plans to build a second line in the fast-growing Indian city.

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is the 10^th largest city in India with 3.1 million people in 2011. That is set to grow to around 8.1 million by 2031, and the existing public transport system is already inadequate, the ADB said.

Under the Jaipur Development Authority’s public transport plan, the local government is constructing the 9.7 km elevated metro Line 1 from Mansarovar, in the western part of the city, to Chandpole, on the western edge of the central business district. This part of the line is due to start operating in late 2013.

The ADB loan will help finance an additional 2.3 km underground stretch from Chandpole to Badi Chopar further east, along with two stations, that should be ready to provide access to the central business district by March 2018.

The total cost of the Line 1 extension is US$ 259 million, with the Rajasthan government paying the balance. The ADB loan will also help finance studies into a planned 23 km Line 1, which will run north to south.