Delhi Capital

According to officials, the Badli Mor Metro station which is proposed to be 4 km long from Jahangirpuri-Badli corridor will be one of the largest interchange Metro stations by 2021. Five years down the line, when phase 4 is scheduled to be completed, Badli Mor Metro station in northwest Delhi will cater to lakhs of commuters.

Earlier the station was proposed to be named Shalimar Place, is expected to register a ridership of about 7,000 commuters in 2016 -when Delhi Metro’s phase 3 stations will start operations. Anuj Dayal, spokesperson of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said, Badli Mor Metro station will be the first ever station to be designed in such a way that the station structure will have provision for expansion in Phase 4 as well. The foundation of the station is being laid in such a way that it will be able to take the load of the two platforms, which will cater to Phase 3 and 4 lines.“

In the Phase 4, the station will facilitate interchange with the proposed Mukundpur-Janakpuri West section, which will then connect the currently operational Jahangirpuri-Gurgaon corridor with the proposed Mukundpur -Yamuna Vihar line and Janakpuri East-Botanical Garden corridor. Both these corridors are being constructed in Phase 3.

The first two floors , which will be lower than the road level will be used for property development as per the plan. The third floor (which will have a direct link with the road through a foot-over bridge) will be concourse and the platform will be above it. The Phase 4 platform will come up above the phase 3 platform. Tenders for this unique station structure have been floated and are in the evaluation process.

News Source : Hindustan Times

The PHASE III  of Delhi Metro will cover 35km more in district; four interchange stations to come up. This expansion will benefit commuters from South Delhi which has the highest number of privately owned cars, is all set to benefit the most from the proposed Metro expansion project under phase III.

Delhi Metro at present covers around 34km in South Delhi, with the Phase 3 which is is scheduled to be completed by 2016, the DMRC plans to spread the network to 35km more in the district. The Delhi Metro serves to around two lakh commuters from south Delhi daily and wonce the phase is complete, it will serves around four lakh commuters daily.

Two main corridors of phase 3 -Yamuna Vihar-Mukundpur and Janakpuri west-Botanical Garden corridor -will pass through south Delhi, which covers 41 per cent of the total Capital area. The district has a population of 23 lakh. South Delhi, considered to be the most posh area, is one of the nine historical districts in the Capital. Localities such as Greater Kailash, CR Park, Alaknanda, Hauz Khas, Green Park, Defence Colony, New Friends Colony, Gulmohar Park, Gulmohar Enclave and Vasant Kunj are situated here.

Anuj Dayal, N spokesperson, DMRC said “In phase III, south Delhi residents are going to benefit immensely. With 26 new Metro stations, covering all strategic locations and four interchange of facilities, almost all parts of the  district will be connected by Metro.“ Dayal also added that There is no Metro interchange facility in the district. In phase 3 project, interchange stations have been planned at INA, Lajpatagar, Hauz Khas and Kalkaji Mandir, said DMRC officials.”Metro will link south Delhi to IGIA, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida. Besides, it will provide direct connectivity to post-residential areas, markets and educational institutes. ”

News Source : Hindustan Times

With over 20,000 commuters using the Chhattarpur Metro Station to access different parts of the City, Delhi Metro has decided to expand the existing parking area for Chhattarpur Metro Station and to make it among one of the biggest parking space for a metro station in Delhi.

Chhattarpur Metro Station existing parking area is around, 100-square metre and it is planning to expand around of 2,900 square metre space by the end of this month. According to the Metro Officials, this parking lot expansion will be the solution to relief commuters from parking hassles at the station.

The Chhattarpur Metro station is a hot spot for commuters traveling from Chhattarpur, Mehrauli village and Vasant Kunj area to different parts of the city, plus the station is also an important point for the large numbers of devotees who come to visit the Chhattarpur temple. At the moment, Chhattarpur station has a capacity to accommodate around 150 vehicles but with the new expansion the station will be able to accommodate more than 400 cars.

A spokesperson of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said  “With the increase in parking space, Chhattarpur Metro station will become one among the major Metro parking lots in Delhi with 4,000 square metre parking space.“ The process of inviting tenders is on for increasing the parking space at Chhattarpur. The spokesperson also added that “By end of the month, the entire parking lot will be ready, which will be properly fenced, divided into lots with proper entry and exit facilities. There will be at least three entry and exit points in the newly developed parking area.“

The Delhi Metro has a total of 95 parking lots in Delhi and NCR at present, which together accommodate thousands of vehicles every day. Of them, line 1 (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) has 20 parking lots, line 2 has 20 lots, line 3/4 (Noida/Anand Vihar-Dwarka) has 36 parking lots, line 5 (Inderlok-Mundka) eight parking lots and line 6 (Central Secretariat-Badarpur) has 11 parking lots. By month end, the entire parking lot will be ready with proper fencing. It will be divided into lots with proper entry and exit facilities.

News Source : Hindustan Times

Commuting in Delhi has drastically changed over a period of 10 year when the mode of transportations was the DTC and blueline buses or depending on pricey autorickshaws. But 2002 saw a different mode of transportation, the Delhi Metro which completely changed the way of commuting in the nation Capital.

The 8.5-km-long line from Shahdara to Tis Hazari gave Delhiites a glimpse into the future. Today, Delhi Metro is spread across 190 km covering almost every corner of the city and this was built in two phases within nine years. The network has connected two major railway stations, the biggest bus terminal and three satellite towns. And it does not stop at that. By 2021, another 136km will be added and connectivity to satellite towns will go deeper and better.

Anuj Dayal, spokesperson, DMRC  said that “we have a vision of bringing the Metro within a 500m radius of every home in Delhi by 2021. The commuters should be able to walk down to the nearest Metro station like they do in Tokyo, London and Shanghai.“This was the dream of former DMRC MD E Sreedharan, which is now shared by every employee, says a Metro official.

The construction for three new lines which will be covering an area of 120 km has already begun in Phase 3, the DMRC has also proposed to build another 116 Km in the phase which they plan to complete by 2021.  With phase 3, Delhi Metro -currently the world’s 10th-largest network -would become the seventh-largest system. And if other Metros in world did not expand, Delhi Metro would be the second-largest -next only to Shanghai Metro -by 2021. Dayal said that “In Phase 3, we will connect domestic airport with the satellite towns, all four major universities in Delhi and NCR, bus terminals and almost all tourist spots,“

DMRC officials claim there are 1.5 lakh less vehicles on roads every day and the travel time from one point to another has been reduced to almost half. A recent study by the Central Road Research Institute shows the expansion has led to a saving of R5,000 crore in terms of fuel consumption, manhours and pollution. Apart from Metro’s expansion, the govt is working on other New Age transport systems such as monorail and pod taxis.

News Source : Hindustan Times

The longest Metro corridor for Delhi Metro will be built in phase 3 in Faridabad and it will be around 14 kilometers. The elevated Metro corridor till YMCA Chowk in Faridabad-the extension of line 6 Central Secretariat­Badarpur) -is going to be the longest expansion taken up in the NCR region so far by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and was cleared recently. This route which measure around 13.9 kilometre will put Faridabad ahead of Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. The total metro network in Noida is 7km, Gurgaon 7.5km and Ghaziabad 2.57km.

Anuj Dayal, DMRC spokesperson said that “The documents for memorandum of understanding with Haryana for Faridabad metro have been prepared and we are awaiting a date from the Haryana government for its signing. Earlier, the central group of ministers had cleared the proposed corridor. “ An official of the Haryana government also said that “This corridor, with nine stations, will be constructed on the lines of the Noida corridor. We will bear 80% of the cost, while the Delhi government will bear the remaining part.”

According to DMRC officials the work on this project will be completed by 2016 as the deadline for completion of other corridors under phase 3.  This will be a project of R.s. 533 crores and the Haryana government will soon start the process of acquiring land. DMRC has started the tender process for this corridor, so work can be immediately begun after land is acquired. Tenders for construction of eight elevated station buildings, including architectural finishing, water supply, sanitary installation and external development work, at Old Faridabad, Ajronda, Faridabad New Town and YMCA Chowk on BadarpurFaridabad corridor have been floated.

News Source : Hindustan Times

Work has already begun on the third phase of the Metro network and the Delhi government has started to finalize the corridors for Phase IV. According to some sources, the government is already considering the corridors suggested by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). A senior official said that “DMRC has identified eight corridors, based on a traffic study done by it. The government will further scrutinize these corridors and recommend options, if needed, before finalizing the alignment.”

The Phase IV network will cover more than 115km and will connect far-flung areas of the city to the existing network. Officials stated that the idea was to connect outer Delhi to the heart of the city in the fourth phase. “While Phase III will make the Metro network denser and bring NCR closer to Delhi; in the fourth phase, we are hoping to connect the corners of the city to the Metro network.”

According to source, a letter stating the corridor alignment and their length was sent to the transport department on November 2, 2011. Some of the corridors, like Lajpat Nagar-Madangir (7.33km) or Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar-Dilshad Garden (17.54km) will also connect commercial hubs with areas having poor surface connectivity. However, most of the corridors being studied would connect the far corners of Delhi to the city centre. These include the Yamuna Bank-Loni Border (11.97km), Rithala-Bawana (12.50km), Kirti Nagar-Dwarka Sector 28 (18.17km), Azadpur-RK Ashram (8.90km) and Badarpur-Delhi Aerocity/NH8 corridor (20.79km).

There will also be a corridor connecting Janakpuri (west) to Mukundpur (18.74km), both of which are terminating stations for corridors in the third phase. DMRC will be asked to conduct a project report on the corridors describing the alignment of the corridors along with a ridership study by the Delhi government. According to officials, the final network for Phase IV will be decided only after another traffic study is determined and the network’s economic viability vetted. Yamuna Vihar to Shiv Vihar (3km), Dwarka to Najafgarh (5.5km) and Mundka to Tikri Border (6.31km) are the three corridors which are expected to be be included in Phase III.

News Source : Times of India

Metro has definitely made commuting in Delhi much easier and cheaper but with so many commuters using metro; we cannot deny that metros can be very crowded especially during the peak hours. There is good news for everyone as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has placed an order for 76 more coaches from Bombardier. With the new coaches, the existing trains with six coaches will be converted to eight coaches for trains running from HUDA City Center to Jahangirpuri corridor by this September. By January-February 2013, trains running on the Dwarka Sector 21-Noida/Vaishali line will have eight coaches trains.

H S Anand, director (rolling stock) said that “The new set of 76 coaches is expected to be delivered by April-May 2012. From these, 37 eight-coach trains will be added to the Yellow line by September, when they will be introduced in revenue services.”

Delhi Metro has also placed an order with DMEL, the supplier of ROTEM trains which are running on the Dwarka Sector 21-Noida/Vaishali line and these coaches will be delivered by July 2012. With the arrival of new coaches, trains with four coaches will be converted to six coached and the rest will be put into service as eight-coach train sets and deployed on the Blue line by January-February 2013.

Anand, a Delhi Metro official said that “ Before being put into service, the coaches will be tested over three to four months. “The testing is done not only of the rolling stock but also the signaling, so that when commissioned, the trains run smoothly.”

On an average, some six-seven lakh passengers travel on the two lines and with the addition of new coaches will be able to accommodate more travelers and reducing the rush. At present, the number of coaches in the network is 1,022, of which 538 are Bombardiers.

News Source : Times of India

New Delhi: Delhi Metro’s Japanese connection will be getting a boost, come January. As work on the third phase of the network gathers steam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be releasing the first instalment of its loan for the Delhi Metro network next month. Pegged at 53 per cent, the loan from JICA for the Rs 35,242 crore project will form the bulk of funding for Phase III, said sources. It will be used to bankroll the civil work, source rolling stock as well as for acquiring the brand-new signaling system for this phase.

Asenior official said: “The coming through of the first instalment means that the pace of work on the third phase can now be increased. Since JICA loan is 53% of the entire project, it plays an important role in the project planning.” The good news for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is that with the Central and Delhi governments pitching in with another 21.27%, the onus for getting the rest of the project cost, which is with the DMRC, is not very much.

A source said: “Delhi Metro can raise the rest of the amount, which is not much considering a substantial 70% has already been raised by JICA and the government.”

The first instalment of the 53 per cent loan is around Rs 6,900 crore, said officials. On ground, the coming through of the loan is the signal for Delhi Metro to ramp up its tendering process. The tenders, which are built on JICA funds, need to be vetted by the Japanese agency before they can be awarded. This process has already gotten off the ground, said sources. “The funding will also be used to source rolling stock for the Phase III as well as for the state-of-the-art signaling system that will be introduced in this phase,” added the official.

JICA has so far paid over Rs 16,000 crore for phases I and II. DMRC has paid back a part of the loan for Phase I amounting to Rs 129.55 crore. The interest for the loan amount for both phases have been repaid to the tune of Rs 696.95 crore.

Staff to go to Tokyo varsity. It is not only Japanese funds driving the Delhi Metro, it’s also Japanese technology. DMRC has started sponsoring its employees for higher studies in Metro technology at the University of Tokyo. Set to be implemented from 2012, the two year programme will introduce Delhi Metro assistant managers and managers to Japanese expertise in Metro and its advancements in the field of civil engineering, electrical and electronics engineering. They will also be sent to Japan to learn high speed technology. Delhi Metro already has a course in IIT Delhi for Metro Technology and a training institute in Shastri Park. TNN

News Source : Times of India

New Delhi: The detailed project report of the Dwarka-Najafgarh Metro alignment — touted as Delhi’s first major foray into its semi-urbanized pockets — is ready. The 5.5km line will have four stations: Dwarka, Najafgarh depot, municipal corporation office and Najafgarh station. It will turn left after starting from the existing Dwarka station and cross the Najafgarh drain before following the central verge of Shivaji Road up to the T-junction near the municipal corporation office. It will then turn right near Delhi Gate, go on to the primary rural health training centre and later join Nangloi Road to end at Najafgarh station.

The Delhi government has also approved the detailed project report but it was not part of the phase III plan sent for approval to the Centre. Sources, however, said that with Delhi Metro planning to start work on phase III in stages, the alignment could be added later in the project timeline.

DMRC sources said the line, which is expected to see a ridership of a lakh by 2021 — according to a CRRI report, would provide access to a number of areas that till now had seen little accessibility.

The catchment area includes localities like Najafgarh, Mitraon, Jharoda Kalan, Kair, Dichaon Kalan, Dindarpur extension, Baba Haridas Nagar, Chhawla, Roshanpura, Shyam Vihar, Dharmpura, Sai Baba Enclave, Nangli Sakravati, Arjun Park, Roshan Garden, Shiva Enclave, Todarmal colony, Prem Nagar, New Hira Park, Ajay Park, Nathu Ram Park, Gemini Park, Shiva Enclave, Raghubir Nagar and other colonies.

The project has been a point of disagreement between the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Delhi government. The corridor will cover some of the most far-flung areas in the city, which are mostly part of the outer Delhi area. While DMRC had reservations about its viability — a CRRI study predicted that ridership on the line would be much lower than other lines forming phase III — political will had ensured that the alignment was part of the Metro expansion.

News Source : Times of India

New Delhi: The Phase III of Delhi Metro, covering 108km of the city, will be going through some of the most congested localities in Delhi. A nightmare in the making for residents living along the alignment? Not really. Unlike in the past, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) this time has gone in for a judicious mix of underground and elevated corridors — a far cry from its stance in the previous phases where it proffered to go elevated. The two main corridors of the third phase, Janakpuri (west) to Botanical Gardens and Mukundpur to Yamuna Vihar, are aligned along the Outer and Inner Ring Roads, making their way through highly congested localities. Officials say that with DMRC opting to go underground in the most crowded parts of the corridors, the construction is expected to be easier than in the two previous phases.

A senior DMRC official, explaining the decision to have more than 50% of the alignment in the south Delhi corridor below the ground, said: “This line will be going through areas that are highly congested. Heavy traffic and the presence of flyovers and underpasses made us rethink the strategy to have elevated corridors here.”

Officials say that while elevated stretches make more economic sense as they are comparatively less expensive, the stretches also require far more space to work in. The official said: “Piers need to go deeper underground when the elevated stretch goes above the road and a flyover. In such an area, going underground makes more techno-economic sense.”

For residents, the decision is a welcome one. Over the years, Delhi Metro has been under fire for opting to go overground even in the localities that had congested or arterial roads, like the Moolchand stretch. In many localities, the tall piers of the elevated corridor marred the landscape, said residents. DMRC is expecting the alignment for the third phase to get more appreciation. “Better technology is available now, so the decision to go underground is easier,” admitted the official. The preference of the Delhi Metro head, E Sreedharan, for elevated corridors — as these are economically more viable — is well known in the Metro circle.

News Source : Times of India