Kondli-Rohini corridor may have mono rail

Sunday, Feb 20, 2011




The Delhi government is again exploring the possibility of monorail transport to lessen traffic congestion. Delhi government chief secretary, Rakesh Mehta, has asked the transport department to do a fresh feasibility study of the project. Said Mehta, "Once the feasibility and viability study is completed, an investment decision will be taken based on it. A detailed project report (DPR) could then be undertaken."

The re-look at the monorail project comes after the RITES study on traffic problems in the city suggested the monorail in congested areas or places with severe right of way (ROW) constraints. Said a senior transport department official, "The study has suggested three corridors but we will be looking to undertake the feasibility study on only the Kondli-Rohini corridor." The reason for opting for this corridor, said the official, was the presence of the Metro in phase III in the other two corridors. Added the official, "The DPR should be undertaken in another two-three months." The corridor is expected to be 40km long and will be going through Delhi Gate, though the alignment will not be touching Daryaganj or the Red Fort area. According to sources in the department, the alignment will instead head towards Rohini after Delhi Gate via Kamla Market.

Mehta said: "A number of factors will be taken into account before we take a call on the monorail project. While studies show that it will be 30% less expensive than the Metro, the passenger-carrying capacity is also half of that of the Metro. But it's a better option for congested areas." Interestingly, the suggestion for the monorail has been shot down due to its high cost by both the DMRC and those lobbying for the integrated transport corridor (high capacity bus or BRT). Mehta admitted that a significant number of members of the special task force (transport), which has been specifically set up to look at transport alternatives, is against the monorail project. "But the government wants to do an independent feasibility study before taking any decision," said Mehta.

The differences between the monorail and Metro are significant, and not just cost-wise. While on the Metro 30,000 passengers per hour can travel one way, on the monorail the capacity is just 15,000. Also, the speed is only 20-30kmph on the monorail while it is 25-40kmph on the Metro. However, one advantage that monorail has over the Metro is that the Metro needs at least a 30-40m wide road for construction, while for the monorail, only 15-25m wide roads are needed. But with high costs involved — sources say the Kondli-Rohini corridor has been estimated at over Rs 8,000 crore — the government will need to look at alternate financial models to undertake the project, if it is accepted. Said an official, "The funding will have to be generated through PPP (public private partnership) or BOT (build operate transfer)."

Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Kondli-Rohini-corridor-may-have-mono-rail/articleshow/7531258.cms