Travelling from the Delhi Metro’s Red line towards the Violet line will now become easier for Delhiites as the Heritage line will become operational from May 28. Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will flag off the ITO-Kashmere Gate- bound metro service on Sunday morning following which commuters will be able to use the metro services on the extension of the Violet line from Sunday afternoon onwards.
Stuck in the pipeline for a long time, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will finally open four of its metro stations on the Heritage line.
The Kashmere Gate station will become the first-ever interchange facility of the Delhi Metro system to provide interconnectivity between three corridors of the network, i.e. Violet line with Red line and Yellow line.
The DMRC on Friday had organised a walk through for the mediapersons through the four metro stations — Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid, lal Qila, and Kashmere Gate. Adorned with panels depicting the old world charm of Purani Dilli, the stations have been decorated with artworks showing the glory of the bygone era. The DMRC had tied up with the art and culture body, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for artworks at the stations. The Heritage line was given clearance by National Monuments Authority on February 13, 2013.
By linking the Kashmere Gate-ITO stations, commuters travelling from Faridabad and various areas of South Delhi will be able to directly reach Old Delhi and vice-versa. Making these four stations technologically upgraded, the DMRC has started a pilot project called the “Dream Gates.”
“We have installed two entry points at lal Qila and two exits points at Jama Masjid Metro Station through which commuters will be able to enter and exit by using their mobile phones. By using the Paytm app, one can access the QR ticket. A bar code will pop up on the screen and by putting the bar code on the gate, the commuter can leave or enter these two stations,” said a senior DMRC official.
The first stop after the ITO station was the Delhi Gate Metro Station that is close to the heritage site of the same name. The 17th century monument was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. To give the newly- constructed metro station an aesthetic look, interiors of the station have been done in granite, steel and canopies have been installed at the entrance as well as exit of the station.
The station is adorned with panels depicting the history of Delhi which was earlier known as Shahjahanabad.
Next stop is Jama Masjid Metro Station. Close to the famous 17th century mosque, the metro station is close to Kasturba Hospital.
The theme of the station is historical and the look has been accentuated with metal work and stone cladding. Marvelling at the artwork, the reporters headed to the third station, lal Qila. Close to the 17th century fort, the facade of the station is similar to the façade of lal Qila and has been done in red sandstone.