The construction work towards the completion of the metro rail network is currently underway in Kanpur. After the inauguration of the 9-km long high-priority corridor between IIT Kanpur and Motijheel last year, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has begun working on the proposed 23.4 km long network. With this, phase 1 of Kanpur Metro will be nearly complete.

Reportedly, the casting work on the platform level of the Nayanganj station was initiated last week. Furthermore, the four underground metro stations of Kanpur between Chunniganj-Nayanganj will be constructed using the top-down construction method.

The top-down construction method is a type of inverse construction process in which the permanent structure is built from top to bottom. Based on this, firstly the roof slabs of the underground stations will be constructed followed by the concourse and then the platform.

Reportedly, this construction method allows for support of underground superstructures with minimum soil movement, and hence, it is considered feasible for deep excavation projects like metro construction.

Reportedly, with the use of the top-down method, about 60% of the work on roof slabs, and 40% of work on the concourse level of Nayanganj station has already been completed. Furthermore, the 'Nana' and 'Tatya' tunnel boring machines (TBMs) which were launched back in July 2022, have also been deployed for the tunnelling work on the route between the Bada Chauraha to Nayanganj stations.

UPMRC has flagged off the construction work on the 4-km long underground route between Chunniganj-Nayanganj which is in full swing. The proposed route consists of four stations i.e. Chunniganj, Naveen Market, Bada Chauraha and Nayanganj.

• Phase 1 of the Kanpur Metro rail network will span a total area of 32.385 km and will be divided into two lines i.e. the Orange Line and the Blue Line.

• The 9 km long high-priority stretch of the Orange line corridor which was completed back in December 2021 consists of 9 elevated stations between IIT Kanpur and Moti Jheel.

• After the expansion, the Orange Line corridor will consist of a total of 14 elevated stations and 8 underground stations.

• On the other hand, the 8.6 km long Blue Line corridor between Barra-CSA University will consist of nine stations and will provide connectivity between several densely-populated areas of the city.

As per the detailed project report (DPR) released by UPMRC, the metro project of the city will be finalized by the end of the year 2024. After completion, the network will help in tackling congestion and traffic woes in the city.