Uttar Pradesh Eyes Rapid Rail Link Between Lucknow and Kanpur.

A high-speed rail corridor, similar to the Meerut-Delhi Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), is being planned to connect Lucknow and Kanpur. If approved, this ambitious project could significantly reduce travel time between the two major Uttar Pradesh cities from the current two hours to a mere 50 minutes.

The state housing department has tasked the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) and the Unnao-Shuklaganj Development Authority with preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR). This report will be crucial in evaluating the financial feasibility of the proposed rapid rail corridor.

The project is expected to receive funding from the central government. The housing department has sought in-principle approval from the Uttar Pradesh government to initiate the evaluation process. Following this, a private consultant will be appointed through a bidding process to prepare the DPR.

This rapid rail initiative comes as a 63-km six-lane Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway is nearing completion and is slated to open soon. The expressway, starting from Lucknow and connecting Bani, Kantha, Amarsas before ending near Azad Marg in Kanpur, is also designed to significantly reduce travel time.

According to preliminary outlines, the proposed 67-km long rapid corridor would run from Nayaganj locality in Kanpur to Amausi in Lucknow. These locations were strategically chosen because existing metro rail services in both cities are accessible from Nayaganj and Amausi, which would expand the catchment area for the metro rail.

Officials stated that details regarding cost estimates, projected traffic, daily ridership, revenue potential from commercial activities, and overall project costs will only be determined once the DPR is finalized. Similarly, information regarding the total land area required for the project and the compensation payable for land acquisition will become available in later stages.