Delhi Metro Expansion: The Central Government has given a big relief to the Delhi-NCR region, which is battling vehicular pollution, by announcing three new corridors of the Delhi Metro. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved projects worth Rs 12,014.91 crore for the expansion of the metro network. These projects, to be constructed under Phase 5A, will expand the Delhi Metro network by 16 km, taking it from 395 km to over 400 km.
These projects will have a total of 13 new stations, three of which will be elevated. The new corridors include the Ramakrishna Ashram Marg to Indraprastha via India Gate, the Aerocity to IGI Terminal-1, and the Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj corridor. Construction of the project will be completed in three years.
Following the Cabinet decision, Prime Minister Modi posted on Instagram, saying that the Cabinet's approval for three new corridors under this new phase of the Delhi Metro will expand the metro network in our capital, making life easier for people and reducing congestion.
These corridors will further reduce pollution and vehicle fuel use. These extensions of the Central Delhi, Magenta Line, and Golden Line of the Phase 5A project will reduce road congestion, thus helping to reduce pollution caused by motor vehicles.
RK Ashram Marg-Indraprastha
The RK Ashram Marg-Indraprastha corridor will be 9.913 km long. Upon completion, it will improve connectivity between West, North, and Old Delhi and Central Delhi. This line will connect North and South Blocks. North and South Blocks will be converted into a museum, called the Yuge Yugin Bharat Sangrahalaya. The buildings on the Kartavya Path will also be connected via this line.
This section will have stations at RK Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavya Bhavan, Baroda House, India Gate, War Memorial-High Court, Bharat Mandapam, and Indraprastha. This corridor will provide connectivity to all the buildings along the Kartavya Path in Central Vista. This will facilitate direct access for office-goers and visitors to this area. This connectivity will benefit approximately 60,000 office-goers and 200,000 visitors daily.
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Aerocity-Airport Terminal-1
The Aerocity-IGI Airport T-1 corridor will be 2.263 km long. It will have stations at Aerocity and Airport Terminal-1. This will make it easier to travel directly from Aerocity to Terminal-1. Furthermore, the three airport terminals will be connected via a metro route. Passengers from T-2 and T-3 will be able to easily travel to T-1 via Aerocity. Currently, there is no metro service from T-2 and T-3 to T-1.
Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj
The Tughlakabad-Kalindi Kunj corridor will be 3.9 km long. Tughlakabad and Kalindi Kunj stations will be built on it. The completion of this corridor will significantly reduce the distance between Noida and Faridabad. Currently, there are two routes to travel from Noida to Faridabad: from Botanical Garden to Mandi House on the Blue Line, and from Mandi House to Old Faridabad via Tughlakabad on the Violet Line.
Second, from Botanical Garden to Kalkaji Mandir on the Magenta Line and from Kalkaji Mandir to Old Faridabad via Tughlakabad on the Violet Line. Now, with the construction of a new line from Kalindi Kunj to Tughlakabad, passengers from Botanical Garden will be able to travel to Kalindi Kunj on the Magenta Line and from Kalindi Kunj directly to Old Faridabad via Tughlakabad.
Cost Of Delhi Metro Projects
RK Ashram-Indraprastha Corridor - 9,570.4 crore
Aerocity-Airport Terminal-1 - Rs 1,419.6 crore
Tughlakabad-Kalindi Kunj - Rs 1,024.8 crore