Work on Faridabad line begins next year

The elevated corridor,which is an extension of the existing Line 6 (Central Secretariat-Badarpur),will run on a standard gauge.

Delhi Metro has shortlisted nine stations for the corridor: Sarai,NHPC Chowk,Mewala Maharajpur,Sector-27A,Badkal Mor,Faridabad Old,Ajronda,Faridabad New Town and YMCA Chowk.

Tenders for stations at NHPC Chowk,Mewala Maharajpur,Sector-27A and Badkal Mor have been floated,officials said. The stipulated time period for completion of the project is 18 months from award of contract.

Officials said if the project is awarded by early-January,this section of the corridor will be complete by mid-2013.

Authorities are also preparing to float tenders for the rest of the corridor,which has received all the requisite approvals including a nod from the Ministry of Urban Development and the Empowered Group of Ministers.

With the completion of this corridor,the Metro will be connecting Delhi to three cities in the NCR — Noida and Gurgaon are already on Metro map.

Under Metro’s Phase-III,there is another proposal to link Kalindi Kunj-Botanical Garden in Noida route to South Delhi.

After completion of this line and the Faridabad corridor,travel time between Gurgaon and Faridabad will be approximately an hour,with two interchanges at Kalkaji and Hauz Khas. To reach Noida’s Botanical Garden station from Faridabad,it will take 50 minutes through an interchange at Kalkaji.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,533 crore,of which Rs 100 crore has been allocated by the Centre.