New Delhi: Delhi Metro added yet another section to its network on Friday (02-Apr-10).

With the opening of 15.1 Inderlok­Mundka section, Delhi Metro's network has expanded to 110 kilometres and the number of stations has increased to 97.

Named as Green Line or Line 5 of the network, the Inderlok ­ Mundka line is the first standard gauge corridor not only in Delhi but in the entire country as well.

The central Secretariat ­ Badarpur line and Airport Express line are two other standard gauge corridors being con- structed by the Delhi Metro.

Both the lines are expected to open in September this year (2010), just before the Commonwealth Games.

The new inderlok-mundka line is also expected to reduce crowding on the existing system as it is expected to take some load off Line 3 as it has been developed as a parallel link to west Delhi. The new line branches out southwards from the existing Inderlok Metro station to hit the Rohtak Road from Punjabi Bagh via another Metro station at Ashok Park. Two existing Delhi Metro lines are being joined together in the middle for the first time to cut travel time. From Ashok Park, an extension of the line — which will be opened later this year — meets Line 3 at Kirti Nagar Metro station. This corridor, from Inderlok Metro station on Line 1 to Line 3’s Kirti Nagar Metro station, is expected to cut travel time by almost 45 minutes. At present, commuters need to travel 16 Metro stations before they can reach Kirti Nagar from Inderlok.

Delhi Chief minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy jointly inaugurated the new metro corridor.

While Reddy said it was a “historic occasion“ and a “mile- stone,“ Dikshit commended the Delhi Metro team led by DMRC chief E. Sreedharan.

Traversing through some thickly populated areas of west and northwest Delhi, the `Green Line' connects residential colonies like Punjabi Bagh, Paschim Vihar, Madipur and Nangloi and industrial pockets of Mundka and Udyog Vihar with central Delhi.

The green line has several firsts associated with it.

Apart from being first standard gauge corridor, it is the first metro corridor to have direct connection with northern railway network.

"The metro station of Satguru Ram Singh Marg will be directly connected to Ring Railway's Patel Nagar station with a foot over bridge. This connection will give access to commuters travelling in ring railway to change to the metro and vice versa with ease," a DMRC spokesperson said.

Delhi Metro has also constructed and named one of its stations on this line as Nangloi station.

The Inderlok-Mundka line will be the first to connect Delhi's two peripheral roads with a metro line.

Outer Ring Road and Ring Road, Delhi's two most congested roads, will now be connected with the Metro.

Delhi Metro has introduced a new type of automatic fare collection gates on this section, which will allow faster passage for commuters and improve passenger management.

In case of an invalid token, the passenger can retrieve it and hand it to the operator for appropriate action at the customer care centre.

Fare Chart

The current lot of automatic fare collection gates does not have this provision.

A total of 91 fare collection gates will be provided on this line comprising 33 entry, 44 exit and 14 disabled friendly automatic fare collection gates.

A total of 84 lifts and escalators (42 each) have been installed to provide easy access to senior citizens, physically handicapped people and others to reach from ground to con- course level and further from concourse level to platform level, which, said DMRC officials, is highest on any section.

DMRC has also provided toilets at all stations in the unpaid area on this line.