Jammu's Metrolite Has Been Sent Back: What the Centre Objected To, and What It Suggests

The reason is one word: elevated. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry (MoHUA) has returned the Metrolite proposals for Srinagar and Jammu because, in the ministry's words, the planned corridors of both projects were "fully elevated", while the Metro Rail Policy 2017 envisages Light Rail Transit as an at-grade, rail-based system segregated from the main carriageway.

The detail came out in a written reply in the J&K Legislative Assembly on 30 September, in answer to a question from Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq about traffic congestion and mass transit in Srinagar.

What the Centre said

According to reporting by Rising Kashmir and Daily Excelsior, MoHUA made two points. First, the cost advantage of a Metrolite system "was likely to be achieved where such systems were planned at grade", which is not how these corridors were designed. Second, "e-buses may be a more cost-effective transport solution for cities such as Srinagar and Jammu."

What the J&K government said

The reply does not announce a redesigned rail proposal. Instead it points to buses: the government says additional buses are proposed under the Centre's PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, and says Srinagar locations are already covered by public transport through Srinagar Smart City Limited. No timeline for an alternative mass-transit system was given in the reports we reviewed. We have not seen a separate J&K government response to the "fully elevated" objection itself, so what it makes of that finding remains unreported.

What it means if you commute

• No metro-style line is coming soon. With the proposals returned and no revised version announced, planning around a rail commute would be premature.
• E-buses are what the Centre points to. MoHUA says e-buses may be more cost-effective for Srinagar and Jammu; no date or route plan for Jammu was given in the reports we reviewed.
• Watch for a revised proposal. The Centre's objection is specific, an at-grade design, so whether the UT resubmits or drops rail altogether is the next thing to track.

File photo: the J&K Legislative Assembly chamber during a session. Greater Kashmir.

Sources: Rising Kashmir; Daily Excelsior; Greater Kashmir.