Kundan Tiwari, Noida: The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) is gearing up to upgrade its Aqua Line operations connecting Noida and Greater Noida starting November 1. To manage growing passenger traffic and make daily commutes faster, the authority is preparing to increase frequency during peak hours and extend late-night service for better integration with the Delhi Metro network.
Six-Minute Intervals During Peak Hours
Under the proposed plan, NMRC aims to reduce train intervals during rush hours from the current 7.5 minutes down to 6 minutes (Monday Friday).
Presently, 13 trains run along the corridor, with one reserved, each carrying up to 1,322 passengers. Average daily ridership hovers between 85,000 and 97,000, with peak single-day numbers reaching nearly 100,000. The reduced interval will increase capacity and reduce station wait times.
Current And Proposed Aqua Line Schedules
- Monday to Friday: Currently operates every 7.5 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours. The proposed schedule would drop peak-hour intervals to 6 minutes starting next month.
- Saturdays: Currently runs every 10 minutes throughout the day.
- Sundays: Currently runs every 15 minutes throughout the day.
Aqua Line Late-Night Extension
Aqua Line services currently begin at 6:00 AM daily, with the final train departing Noida at 10:00 PM. NMRC is planning to push the final departure time to 11:25 PM. If implemented, post-10:00 PM departures are expected at 10:20 PM, 10:40 PM, 11:00 PM, and 11:25 PM.
The proposed late-night extension is designed to align with operations on the Delhi Metro Blue Line at Sector 52 station, which is adjacent to the Aqua Line's Sector 51 station:
- The last Delhi-bound Blue Line train reaches Sector 52 at 11:08 PM.
- The last train from Dwarka towards Noida Sector 62/Electronic City arrives at Sector 52 around 12:25 AM.