Despite work being completed in the much-awaited ITO Metro station way back in March, its opening seems to have been delayed indefinitely. While ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan has been asked to file a report looking into the legal and operational aspects of the case, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) still awaits further direction from the Union Urban Development Ministry on the tussle. Meanwhile, metro officials “hope” an early decision which could also be an amendment in the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.
The inordinate delay is a result of differences between the DMRC and the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) on the issue of “single-line operation” of the trains on the Mandi House -ITO stretch. The CMRS, sources said, is of the view that the stretch cannot be put into operation as it does not have ‘reversal facility’ at ITO and the Delhi Metro Act does not permit a ‘single-line operation’. However, DMRC officials, while accepting that single-line operation is not allowed in the Act, have argued that neither the Act nor the general rules governing the metro system bars such an operation.
It is here that the UD Ministry stepped in and later referred it to former DMRC Chief Sreedharan. “The issues have cropped up due to different interpretations of the Delhi Metro Act by the DMRC and the CMRS. Hence, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asked Sreedharan to examine the relevant provisions in detail for giving an opinion for further consideration,” informed an official.
Explaining the hitch in opening the station, which is a part of the 9.5 kilometre long “Heritage Corridor”, a senior railway official said, “The DMRC might have got the technical know-how of running trains safely on a single track, but the provision needs to be in the books. Even railways operate trains at some places, but amendments are made in the working rules to that effect. The rules are important as it needs to have contingency plan in black and white.”
Officials said that Sreedharan pointed out that there used to be no such delays in respect of Delhi Metro projects under phases I and II and the problem has risen due to amendments to the Metro Railways Act in 2009. He said because of these changes now there is too much of micro-management of safety issues and these are causing delays. DMRC chief Mangu Singh also gave details of some such instances and stipulations in respect of metro projects which were not being applied for railway lines.