Cabinet okays Rs 12,015 crore project to expand Delhi Metro across 13 new stations

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a Rs 12,015 crore project to expand Delhi Metro Phase V (A) to cover another 13 stations across three new corridors, spanning 16 kilometres.

Three new corridors include R.K Ashram Marg to Indraprastha (9.913 Kms), Aerocity to IGD Airport T-1 (2.263 kms) and Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj (3.9 kms) as part of Delhi Metro’s Phase–V(A) project comprising 16.076 kms which will further enhance connectivity within the national capital.

The total project cost of Delhi Metro’s Phase – V(A) project will be sourced from Government of India, Government of Delhi, and international funding agencies, according to an official statement.

The Central Vista corridor will provide connectivity to all the Kartavya Bhawans, thereby providing door step connectivity to the office goers and visitors in this area. With this connectivity around 60,000 office goers and 2 lakh visitors will benefit on a daily basis. These corridors will further reduce pollution and usage of fossil fuels enhancing ease of living.

The RK Ashram Marg – Indraprastha section will be an extension of the Botanical Garden-R.K. Ashram Marg corridor. It will provide Metro connectivity to the Central Vista area, which is currently under redevelopment. The Aerocity – IGD Airport Terminal 1 and Tughlakabad – Kalindi Kunj sections will be an extension of the Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor and will boost connectivity of the airport with the southern parts of the national capital in areas such as Tughlakabad, Saket, Kalindi Kunj etc. These extensions will comprise of 13 stations. Out of these, 10 stations will be underground and 3 stations will be elevated.

After completion, the corridor-1 namely R.K Ashram Marg to Indraprastha (9.913 Kms), will improve the connectivity of West, North and old Delhi with Central Delhi and the other two corridors namely Aerocity to IGD Airport T-1 (2.263 kms) and Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj (3.9 kms) corridors will connect south Delhi with the domestic Airport Terminal-1 via Saket, Chattarpur etc which will tremendously boost connectivity within National Capital.

These metro extensions of the Phase–V(A) project will expand the reach of Delhi Metro network in Central Delhi and Domestic Airport thereby further boosting the economy. These extensions of the Magenta Line and Golden Line will reduce congestion on the roads; thus, will help in reducing the pollution caused by motor vehicles.

The stations, which shall come up on the RK Ashram Marg — Indraprastha section are: R.K Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavya Bhawan, India Gate, War Memorial – High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam, and Indraprastha.

The stations on the Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj section will be Sarita Vihar Depot, Madanpur Khadar, and Kalindi Kunj, while the Aerocity station will be connected further with the IGD T-1 station.

The project is aimed at improving last-mile connectivity and easing congestion on some of the national capital’s most crowded stretches. The completion of the project within the next three years will take the Delhi Metro network past the 400-kilometre mark.

“With this expansion, a new chapter will be added to the Delhi Metro. For this purpose, a project worth Rs 12,015 crore has been sanctioned,” Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told journalists after the Cabinet meeting.

An estimated 33,000 tonnes of CO2 emission will be saved with this project, the minister explained.

The expansion will result in including 13 new stations to the existing network, linking residential colonies, commercial areas and transit interchanges.

Construction of Phase-IV consisting of 111 km and 83 stations are underway, and as of today, about 80.43% per cent of civil construction of Phase-IV (3 Priority) corridors has been completed. The Phase-IV (3 Priority) corridors are likely to be completed in stages by December 2026.

Today, the Delhi Metro caters to an average of 65 lakh passenger journeys per day. The maximum passenger journey recorded so far is 81.87 lakh on August 08, 2025. Delhi Metro has become the lifeline of the city by setting the epitome of excellence in the core parameters of MRTS — punctuality, reliability, and safety.

A total of 12 metro lines of about 395 km with 289 stations are being operated by DMRC in Delhi and NCR at present. Today, Delhi Metro has the largest Metro network in India and is also one of the largest Metros in the world.

IANS