Delhi Metro expansion gets boost: Govt clears Rs 3,386 crore for three corridors

The third and longest of all three corridors will connect Rithala in Northwest Delhi to Kundli in neighbouring Haryana. The 26.463-km corridor, which is an extension of the Red Line, will have 21 stations and is expected to significantly improve connectivity to Rohini, Bawana and Narela, as well as industrial and residential pockets along the Capital’s northern edge.

The corridors — spread across nearly 47 km and estimated to cost Rs 14,630.80 crore — are expected to be completed within four years, the statement underlined, adding that “efficient metro operations will also play a significant role in controlling pollution”.

Officials said the three corridors will serve a wide range of neighbourhoods. The Lajpat Nagar–Saket line will pass through areas such as Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash-I, Chirag Delhi, Pushp Bhawan and Saket District Centre. The Inderlok–Indraprastha corridor will connect central parts of the city, including Dayabasti, Sarai Rohilla, Jhandewalan, Nabi Karim, New Delhi Railway Station, Delhi Gate and the Delhi Secretariat–IG Stadium area.

Delhi and its surrounding areas have an existing metro network spanning 395 km with an average daily ridership of around 40 lakh. The Delhi Metro’s existing network is being expanded by 110 km under Phase IV and 96 km and under Phases V-A and V-B. With the completion of Phase IV, daily ridership is expected to double.

The government said that the tendering process for the corridors is currently underway, and preliminary work has already begun on some stretches.

The Inderlok to Indraprastha corridor has been included under a combined financial framework with the Lajpat Nagar- Saket G-Block corridor with a combined project cost of ₹8,399.81 crore, the CMO stated. Of this, the Delhi Government’s share will be Rs 1,987.86 crore. For the Rithala to Kundli corridor, the total cost of this project has been estimated at Rs 6,230.99 crore, with the Delhi government’s share amounting to ₹1,398.32 crore. Of the total cost, ₹5,685.22 crore will be spent for Delhi and Rs 545.77 crore for Haryana.

The expansion of the Metro network, CM Rekha Gupta said, will help in easing congestion and reducing pollution, making Delhi more modern. Last week, she had said after a high-level meeting that the government is taking multiple steps to cut down air pollution in the city over the next four years, including strengthening public transport.

The Indian Express reported on January 17 that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had recommended to the Centre at a key meeting on air pollution that the Delhi Metro network needs to increase its operational length to around 900 km like Beijing. Vehicular pollution is one of the key contributors to the PM2.5 levels in the Capital.