Delhi Capital

Congested Areas Along Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar Corridor Pose A Challenge

New Delhi: With 14 sharp curves in a span of 13km, the Hazrat Nizamuddin to Shiv Vihar section of the Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar corridor is expected to be unique in Delhi Metro’s network. Curves having less than 300m radius are considered to be ‘sharp curves’ in urban rail construction.

In 2010, Delhi Metro constructed the sharpest broad gauge curve on its elevated section in Gurgaon near IFFCO Chowk with a radius of 282.05 meters between pier numbers 125 to 137 in Phase II. “DMRC will be constructing a record number of sharp curves in phase III. It will be on the standard gauge metro corridor from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Shiv Vihar.” said Anuj Dayal, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation spokesman.

Such sharp curves would entail precision planning and construction by Delhi Metro. “Cantilever piers and portals or supports would have to be constructed at appropriate places to provide smooth transition for the curves to take care of the shifted alignment due to the curvature,” added the Delhi Metro official.

The reason behind Delhi Metro constructing such sharp curves is the congested nature of the localities the line will pass through on the Mukundpur to Shiv Vihar corridor. “Because of the uneven twists and turns in this 25km elevated corridor, Delhi Metro is being forced to construct 14 curves on this stretch that pass through congested areas like Trilokpuri, Kalyanwas, Vinod Nagar, I P Extension, Anand Vihar, Karkarduma, Welcome, Seelampur, Jaffrabad and Maujpur,” said the Delhi Metro spokesman.

Building sharp curves requires a great deal of engineering skills and several factors have to be kept in mind while designing special segments or spans at the concerned turn or juncture, said DMRC engineers. “DMRC has to form especially dedicated beds in its casting yard for casting of special segments. The segments are then constructed according to the already defined ‘radius of curvature’ and then put on the viaduct,” added Dayal.

The Mukundpur to Shiv Vihar corridor is 59km long and will cover 40 metro stations. It is one of the two new corridors being constructed for Phase III.

Source: Times Of India

Airport Express Making 150m Path For Pedestrian Safety At Ajmeri Gate

New Delhi: Passengers coming by train needn’t worry about running an obstacle course across the crowded New Delhi railway station to reach the Airport Metro station anymore. R-Infra promoted Delhi Airport Metro is finally building a pedestrian pathway at New Delhi railway station.

This 150m long pathway will allow pedestrians to easily access the Airport Metro station, said sources. “At present, it’s difficult for passengers to commute between the New Delhi railway station and the Airport Metro station because of the vehicles and uneven path, especially carrying luggage along,” said an official. To allow easier access, the Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL) is building the pathway with the permission of the Northern Railways, added officials.

The 7.5m wide pathway will be for pedestrians only, allowing easy access to both the railway station and the Metro stations. While the idea is to provide direct connectivity to the Airport Metro station, it will also help those going to the Delhi Metro station.

According to officials, the pedestrian pathway is scheduled to become operational in a month’s time. “There had been a number of complaints about the lack of easy accessibility. The pathway should address that problem,” added the official. The pathway will start from the left extreme corner of the New Delhi railway station — on the Ajmeri Gate side — where the VIP entry is located at present, and connect with the northwest side of the Airport Metro station.

However, for the first few months of operation, commuters will have to find a way around the drop-off points that are located in the entry to the railway station. “At 30m, the drop-off points are located, where private vehicles drop off passengers. This will interrupt the pathway for a few months,” admitted the official.

However, a source said talks are on with the Northern Railways to shift the drop-off points to the other end of the station in a few months time.

The pathway will also have green planters, and “portals” with seating areas, which will be built later.

PASSENGER-FRIENDLY INITIATIVE

No direct link between New Delhi railway station and Delhi Airport Metro station
Passengers at the railway station have to navigate through taxi and autorickshaw lanes, dividers etc to reach the Metro station
DAMEPL constructing 7.5m wide airport metro pathway for pedestrians that will cut across dividers and parking areas to ease access
Pathway scheduled to become operational in a month’s time
Pathway will be interrupted by the drop-off point at 30m
This drop-off point for vehicles will however be shifted to another end of station in 3 months The pathway will also have green planters
On the pathway, nonslippery lather finish kota stone will be used
The pathway would also be equipped with signage for areas that can be reached via the Delhi Airport Metro Express
Wheelchair with porter services to ferry senior citizens, disabled and ill people to be made available

Source: Times of India

Discoms Seek Revision, DMRC Says Commuters To Bear Cost

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