Canada has offered to help the Punjab government in developing a Metro Rail network in the industrial city of Ludhiana.

Helen Amundsen, the Canadian consul general in Punjab,  made the offer to Akali Dal acting president Sukhbir Badal.

Noting the Punjab government's desire to develop a Metro Rail in Ludhiana, she stated that Canadian companies like Bombardier could provide total transit solutions and also assist in executing the project from concept to completion. She pointed out that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had selected Bombardier to supply 85 trains for Phase II of the Delhi Metro project. She said Bombardier had already executed important Metro projects in New York, Paris, London, Berlin and Shanghai.

The consul general said that the Canadian company would like to participate in the tender process when it is initiated. She also offered cooperation from the Canadian government for environmental issues like solid waste management and sewerage treatment. Badal said that the expertise of Canadian companies could be utilised in Punjab, especially in technology related projects that could benefit the lives of common people. The metro rail project for Ludhiana is part of a massive infrastructure upgrade plan for the industrial city, which will also include five flyovers, a ring road, and an airport. "The government plans to spend Rs 1,051 crore on providing water and sewerage facilities in the city. A special plan has been prepared for the development of the city involving an estimated expenditure of Rs 6,500 crore (CXXX)," said Sukhbir Singh Badal. Badal said in order to ease the traffic situation in the city, a metro link covering an area upto 20 km on each side of the city will be established.

This project is likely to take off during the next two to three years, he added.

About the airport in the city, Badal said that the runway of the Sawhnewal airport would be increased to a length of 14,000 feet to enable all types of passenger jets to land there.

"Plans have already been finalised with the Airport Authority of India in this regard. While small planes would start flying from this airport soon, it might take about three years for the bigger planes to use the extended runway," he said.

Ludhiana is part of the Doaba region of Punjab from where thousands of people migrate to Canada everyear.