November 23, 2023: The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC), a fully owned entity of the Odisha government, on November 20, 2023, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project Phase-1 to link the city with Cuttack over the next four years.
According to the government, the DMRC will work as a turn-key consultant for the project. The contract was signed between BMRC CEO Siba Prasad Samatary and DMRC director Pramit Kumar Garg in the presence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik on a virtual platform. The Rs 6,255-crore project will be fully funded by the Odisha state government.
See also: Odisha Cabinet approves Bhubaneswar metro rail project phase-1
Connecting Bhubaneswar airport to Trisulia in Cuttack, the project will be on an elevated structure and run on the median or side of the existing roads. It will feature ultra-modern coaches and signalling systems. The 26-km long project will have 20 metro stations including Rajmahal Square, Capital Hospital, Patia Square and Jayadev Vihar Square. The metro project is likely to be expanded to other nearby towns including Puri and Khurda in subsequent phases.
