• Source:JND
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The residents of Greater Noida West will soon enjoy the benefits of metro facilities as the plan for expanding the Metro network has been given a new impetus. A new Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with a changed alignment that will connect the Blue Line and the Aqua Line at Sector-61 metro station. The new DPR will be presented in the upcoming board meeting and then sent to the government for approval.

According to Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) MD Dr Lokesh M, the new alignment will increase the route length by 2.5 km and add two to three more metro stations. The new route will also provide direct connectivity to Knowledge Park-5, where the second phase of the Aqua Line extension will end. 

The previous DPR for the Aqua Line extension had proposed a route from Sector-51 to Sector-2 of Greater Noida West, with five stations and a length of 9.605 km. However, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had raised concerns over the lack of connectivity with the Blue Line and rejected the Skywalk project between Sector-52 and Sector-51 metro stations.

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The new alignment will also affect the budget of the Greater Noida West Metro Project, which was initially estimated at Rs 2,682 crore in 2016 for a 14.958 km long route. The budget was later revised to Rs 2,455.7 crore under the Metro Policy 2017 and further reduced to Rs 2,197.49 crore by the Public Investment Board (PIB). With the addition of two stations and 2.5 km, the budget will increase accordingly.

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The Metro expansion plan will benefit about five lakh people living in Greater Noida West, where there is currently no major public transport system and new societies are being developed continuously. The plan will also ease the commute of people travelling to Noida, Greater Noida and Delhi.

Meanwhile, the DPRs for two other Metro routes are awaiting government approval. One is the Botanical Garden Metro from Sector-142 and the other is the Metro Depot to Bodaki route.