Delhi Metro network’s Rithala-Dilshad Garden Red Line will soon be extended to Ghaziabad’s New Bus Adda. The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the extension of Delhi Metro corridor from Dilshad Garden to New Bus Adda Ghaziabad. This would be the second metro line in Ghaziabad and the first metro link connecting the interiors of the city. It will pass through Sahibabad Industrial Area and is aimed at impacting the nearby residential areas.
The 9.41-km-long corridor which is entirely elevated, has missed several deadlines. The corridor is ready for operational.
“The trail run is going on on this corridor. Not only that, the Noida Metro Aqua line, connecting Noida to Greater Noida, will also be thrown open. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off trains on both the extended Delhi Metro Red line and the Noida Metro Aqua line in the coming days,” said the officials of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The extended corridor of Rithala-Dilshad Garden Red Line covers eight metro stations in total - Shaheed Nagar, Raj Bagh, Rajendra Nagar, Shyam Park, Mohan Nagar, Arthala, Hindon river and Ghaziabad New Bus Stand metro stations. The stretch also includes an interchange facility. At the Mohan Nagar station, people can change for Blue Line. Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) wrote to the UP government saying that the project was 99% complete and that December 25 could be a good day for commissioning of the line.
The Cabinet has also approved contribution of Rs.324.87 crore as central financial assistance for extension at the total completion cost of Rs.1,781.21 crore. The rolling stock is being provided by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and land has been provided free of cost by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA),” said officials of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
The other line that will be opened by year-end, Noida Metro’s Aqua line, is 29.7-km long. It has been under construction since the year 2015 and will benefit people residing in Greater Noida by connecting the city’s vast stretches and linking it firmly with the national capital. The Aqua line will run from the depot station in Theta, Greater Noida to Sector 71, Noida and will cover 21 metro stations. Out of these 21, 15 metro stations will operate from Noida Sector 149 to Noida Sector 71, passing through Sectors 144, 137, 81, 50 etc. and 6 metro stations will operate from Greater Noida, passing through Delta 1, Alpha 1, Alpha 2, Pari Chowk and Knowledge Park 2. According to sources quoted in the report, the final documentation and inspections would be completed in three weeks, making it possible for the inauguration to take place in December.