Metro services for people in Delhi get further boost as Cabinet clears Phase V(A)

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, approved the expansion of Delhi Metro with three new corridors, adding more than 16 km to the existing network and further extending the metro services to Central Delhi, the domestic airport, and the southern suburbs.

Three new corridors in Delhi Metro’s Phase-V (A) project includes connecting R.K. Ashram Marg to Indraprastha (9.913 km), Aerocity to Indira Gandhi Delhi Airport Terminal-1 (2.263 km), and Tughlaqabad to Kalindi Kunj (3.9 km).

The project, connecting a total distance of 16.076 km will cost Rs 12,014.91 crore, which will be funded by the Union and Delhi governments, with additional finance from international agencies.

A Central Vista corridor will provide connectivity to all the Kartavya Bhawans (a complex with 10 buildings of the Common Central Secretariat under the Central Vista redevelopment project).

The metro service is expected to benefit an estimated 60,000 office goers and about two lakh visitors every day and will help reduce pollution, limited the use of fossil fuels, thus enhancing ease of living.

Among the connecting routes, the R.K. Ashram Marg-Indraprastha section will be an extension of the Botanical Garden-R.K. Ashram Marg corridor, providing connectivity to the Central Vista area.

Meanwhile, the Aerocity-Indira Gandhi Delhi Airport Terminal-1 and Tughlaqabad-Kalindi Kunj sections will be an extension of the Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor and will boost connectivity of the airport terminal to the southern parts of the national capital.

It will connect areas such as Tughlaqabad, Saket, Kalindi Kunj, among others.

The metro line from R.K. Ashram Marg to Indraprastha will improve the connectivity of West, North and old Delhi with Central Delhi and the other two, Aerocity to Indira Gandhi Delhi Airport T-1, and Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj, will connect south Delhi with the domestic Airport Terminal-1 via Saket, Chattarpur, and the rest, helping commuters travel easier in Delhi.

These extensions, of the existing Magenta and Golden lines, will reduce road congestion, in turn helping check pollution caused by motor vehicles.

The stations between the R.K. Ashram Marg-Indraprastha section will be R.K. Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavya Bhawan, India Gate, War Memorial, High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam, and Indraprastha.

Tughlaqabad-Kalindi Kunj section will have stops at Sarita Vihar Depot, Madanpur Khadar, and Kalindi Kunj, while the Aerocity station will be connected further with the Indira Gandhi Delhi Airport T-1 station.

Meanwhile, construction in Phase-IV project — consisting of 111 km and 83 stations — is underway, with about 80.43 per cent of civil construction of Phase-IV (3 Priority) corridors having been completed.

The Phase-IV (3 Priority) corridors are likely to be completed in stages by December 2026.

Delhi Metro currently caters to an average of 65 lakh passenger-journeys per day.

The maximum passenger-journey recorded so far is 81.87 lakh on August 8 this year.

Altogether, there are 12 Metro lines already existing, running through 395 km and connecting 289 stations, being operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in Delhi and National Capital Region at present.

Incidentally, Delhi Metro has the largest such network in India and is among the largest in the world.

IANS