Bhubaneswar Metro Project to Extend to SCB Hospital in Cuttack

Bhubaneswar: In a major development for Odisha’s much-anticipated metro rail project, the proposed Bhubaneswar-Cuttack corridor will now be extended up to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. This was announced today by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra.

Addressing the media, the Minister stated that instead of terminating at Trisulia in Cuttack, the metro line will now extend from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar to both the Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal (CNBT) and SCB Medical. The revision has been made with the objective of enhancing commuter convenience.

A committee has been constituted to oversee the progress of the metro project and is currently visiting various cities across India to study existing metro systems. A fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) is also being prepared. The Minister clarified that the project will be jointly funded by the state and central governments.

Earlier, the preliminary DPR had outlined a 26-kilometre metro corridor from Bhubaneswar Airport to Trisulia Square, featuring 20 stations. However, with the new DPR, the scope of the project is being expanded beyond the original plan.

The foundation stone for the metro’s first phase was laid by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Ratagada near Trisulia on January 1, 2024. The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to execute the project.

With the extension to SCB Hospital, the metro rail initiative aims to provide better connectivity and ease of travel between the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.