Delhi Metro expansion gets cabinet nod: 16km on 3 corridors with 13 stations

NEW new delhi: The unification locker on midweek sanctioned the expansion of the Delhi Metro by 16 km across three corridors (Phase 5A), covering 13 new stations, a decision that coincided with the 23rd anniversary of the launch of metro operations in the city.The first of these new corridors is between RK Ashram Marg and Indraprastha (9.9 km), while the other two are from Aerocity to Airport Terminal-1 (2.3 km) and Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj (3.9 km).All these lines are expected to be ready in three years and will cost ₹12,015 crore.“With these new lines, there will be a reduction in carbon emissions by 33,000 tonnes every year,” information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters after the meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Vaishnaw said the first new line is intended to connect all the new Kartavya Bhawans being built and cater to around 60,000 employees and about 2 lakh visitors. “This corridor has been designed with the thinking that all of them can avoid traffic and come comfortably by metro, which will have a significant impact on both pollution and traffic. Therefore, it can also be called the Kartavya Bhawan Corridor,” he said.The stations on this line are RK Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavya Bhawan, India Gate, War Memorial - High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam, and Indraprastha.Currently, a corridor is under construction connecting Inderlok to Indraprastha, having stations at Inderlok, Dayabasti, Ajmal Khan Park, Jhandewalan Mandir, Nabi Karim, New Delhi, Delhi Gate, Delhi Sachivalaya and Indraprastha as an extension of the existing Green Line.Sewa Ram, professor, transport planning, School of planning and Architecture (SPA) said other than servicing the Central Vista area, the line would also cater to the highfoot fall areas such as Bharat Mandapam and the Zoo.“Using this line, visitors can easily access Central Vista, Sunder Nursery, the zoo and other heritage sites. The improved access will allow people to seamlessly walk to multiple cultural attractions without using any motorised vehicle.”The second corridor will connect the Airport Terminal 1 with the existing Orange or Airport Express line.“Terminal 1 is almost complete and has taken its new shape. So, Terminal 1 will handle many more flights in the near future. This corridor will connect Terminal 1 with Aero City, which comes directly to the airport from Delhi’s City Centre at Shivaji Stadium station,” the minister said.The third corridor will be help commuters from Noida and Faridabad get direct connectivity to Gurugram. The stations on the Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj section will be Sarita Vihar Depot, Madanpur Khadar, and Kalindi Kunj.Currently, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has 394 km (including surrounding parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh) of metro rail network operational, making it India’s largest network with an average daily ridership of 6.6 million.