Construction of Lucknow Metro starts, 'to run before 2017 polls'.

The construction of the much-awaited Lucknow Metro commenced Saturday with a bhoomi pujan in the presence of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior ministers of the state government. The first phase of construction, for which work began recently, will cover about 8 km between the "priority section" of Transport Nagar and Charbagh, and is expected to cost about Rs. 2,000 crore. While Larsen and Toubro has been selected for civil works, Systra, a French company, has been selected for designing metro stations and via-ducts. This priority line will have eight stations. The priority section is a part of the 22.87-km North-South Corridor between Amausi Airport and Munshipulia, which is expected to cost Rs. 6,880 crore. "I have full confidence in Metroman E Sreedharan (principal advisor for Lucknow Metro) and all the related departments that the metro will start running before the next Assembly elections," the CM said after the bhoomi pujan.