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Delhi Metro entered Vaishali
July 15, 2011
For Sachin Tomar, the five-year wait for Delhi Metro to reach Ghaziabad finally got over on Thursday. He was one of the passengers on the first train to leave the Vaishali metro station as it started operations. "Since we moved into our flat in Ghaziabad in 2007, we had been waiting for this day. We woke up at 5am today and walked across the road to the station. The Metro coming to Vaishali means a lot for us and thousand others in Ghaziabad," said Tomar.
As many as 19,500 commuters from Vaishali and 9,600 from Kaushambi agree with Tomar. The 2.57-km extension saw almost 30,000 commuters get on the Dwarka-Anand Vihar corridor from the two new stations on the first day. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is expecting an addition of 40,000 commuters on this line, with the majority coming from Vaishali.
Length of new stretch:
2.57 km |
Two new stations:
Vaishali, Kaushambi |
Train Frequency:
5 minutes 34 seconds |
Travel time from Sector 21, Dwarka, to Vaishali:
81 min 22 seconds |
Number of stations between Sector 21 Dwarka & Vaishali :
41 |
Min & Max Fares:
Rs.8 & Rs.30 |
| Commuters from Sahibabad can use foot-overbridge (FOB) across Kaushambi and Vaishali stations. Lifts at both entry points of FOB |
Kaushambi station has three levels connected by three lifts and 2 escalators; Vaishali station has five levels with 3 lifts and 4 escalators |
Kaushambi has 4 ticket counters; Vaishali has 6 |
| Stations to have a total of 22 automatic fare collection gates with Kaushambi having 9 and Vaishali 13 |
Cars pick-and-drop points, along with cycle rickshaw and auto stands, provided outside both stations |
Both stations have toilets for men, women and the physically challenged in the unpaid area |
| Special ramps inside both stations for movement of physically challenged |
Vaishali station to be developed on lines of a mall |
Parking: Kaushambi (50 cars, 100 two-wheelers) Vaishali (250 cars and 250 two-wheelers) |
On Thursday, the excitement was palpable. As the clock struck seven, the Metro station at Vaishali reverberated with claps as residents of Vaishali, Indirapuram and nearby areas welcomed the start of the first train on the line. Anil Marwah - who has been the first commuter on other Metro route openings as well - was the first smart card purchaser from the station once again. Working men and women, who travel to Delhi every day, looked relieved. "I had to drive till Anand Vihar station, which takes over half an hour, and then get to the station which took another 10 minutes. Around an hour was wasted in just reaching the Metro. Now, I can save all that time in the morning. I can use it for some other work and walk to the Metro station, which takes just five minutes. This is amazing," said Abhishek Mishra, who boarded the first Metro from Vaishali station.
And it's not just the working professionals who were happy. It was a moment of joy for all. Be it students or those who have retired, everyone seemed enthusiastic in taking the first ride. Bhagirath, a computer science student and resident of Indirapuram, said, "Commuting was a headache from this area. But now, to reach my institute in South Extension I won't have to take shared autos and again walk to reach the Metro. It's a stone's throw from my home. I was waiting for this."
Commuters said they either had to take a shared auto to save money or hire the regular one which cost around Rs 100 to reach Anand Vihar station. "The autos we had to take to reach the station stopped on the UP side of the border and then we had to walk for around a kilometre. It was not only time-consuming, but also expensive. Now people from Indirapuram and Vaishali can just walk to the Metro," said Kihore Kumar, an insurance manager.
With both new stations having parking space as well as designated areas for para-transport such as autos and cycle rickshaws, the commute should get much smoother.
Source - Times of India |
