New Delhi, Oct 29 Commuters and office-goers travelling to central Delhi will get more metro connectivity options as Central Secretariat and New Delhi stations are set to become triple interchange hubs under the Magenta Line Extension project.
Both connections will be underground, allowing commuters to switch between three metro lines at each station. The additional links are expected to make travel to government offices, business districts and other key destinations in central Delhi more convenient, a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official said.
The Ramakrishna Ashram Marg-Indraprastha corridor via Central Vista has been sanctioned under Phase V-A, while the Indraprastha-Inderlok corridor, originally planned under Phase IV, will be implemented as an extension of the Magenta Line, he told PTI.
At Central Secretariat, the Magenta Line will connect with the existing Yellow and Violet lines, while at New Delhi, it will link with the Yellow Line and the Airport Express Line.
This will provide passengers with additional interchange options, including those travelling between the airport and other parts of the city, the official said.
The two stations will be among four triple interchange facilities on the expanded Magenta Line, along with Azadpur and Inderlok. At present, Kashmere Gate connects the Red, Yellow and Violet lines, making it an existing triple interchange station, he said.
Once fully operational, the Magenta Line will stretch approximately 89 km between Botanical Garden and Inderlok, making it the longest corridor in the Delhi Metro network. It will have 65 stations, including 40 underground stations, and will operate entirely with driverless trains, according to the official.
The expanded corridor is planned to have 21 interchange stations, compared with four on the currently operational stretch: Kalkaji Mandir, Botanical Garden, Janakpuri West and Hauz Khas. Seventeen additional interchange stations are planned under Phase IV and Phase V-A, the official said.
These include Kalindi Kunj, Chirag Delhi, Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Peeragarhi, Pitampura (Madhuban Chowk), Haiderpur Badli Mor, Majlis Park, Azadpur, Pulbangash, Nabi Karim, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Indraprastha, Delhi Gate, New Delhi and Inderlok.
The expanded Magenta Line is expected to offer more direct travel options, ease pressure on busy interchange stations and reduce travel time for some passengers, depending on their routes and destinations, the official said.
The corridor will also feature two engineering landmarks of the Delhi Metro network. Haiderpur Badli Mor is the highest elevated metro station, with a rail-level height of around 28.36 metres at one of its piers, while Hauz Khas is the deepest underground station at approximately 29 metres, he added.
The Delhi Metro currently operates around 416 km of network with 303 stations across 12 lines in Delhi-NCR, including the Noida-Greater Noida Aqua Line and Gurugram’s Rapid Metro, according to DMRC.
The network is being expanded under Phase IV and Phase V-A to improve connectivity across the national capital and adjoining areas.
(PTI News)
