New Delhi: New Delhi: The Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden line of the Delhi Metro will finally be inaugurated on December 25 after a lag of two years.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has set April, 2018 as the fresh deadline for the completion of its longest upcoming corridor, named as the Pink and Magenta lines. Originally the project was supposed to be completed by December 2016.
The first leg of the project that is being inaugurated this Christmas was scheduled to be operational by December 2015. Trial runs between the Kalindi Kunj and Kalkaji Mandir section of the Magenta Line started in August 2016.
Phase 4 of the Delhi Metro is also caught in delays. The cost required is likely to increase by Rs 6,000 crore as the Centre and the Delhi government are yet to decide whether Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be the funding agency or not. Additionally, DMRC will have to prepare detailed project reports afresh for the new phase by involving private players, mandated under the new Metro policy.
According to DMRC data, average daily ridership in 2016-17 was 2.76 million with network length being 213 km. Had phase 3 been functioning in the National Capital Region (NCR), network length of 160 km would have been added, raising the average ridership.
Deepak Kumar, junior engineer (electrical) of DMRC, said, “On average, a Delhi Metro coach has a seating capacity of 42-50 depending upon the type of coach and around 318 people can stand, taking the total number of passenger intake to 360.”
A spokesperson of DMRC also said that 2500-3000 people travel on a single Metro. The 12.64-km section, part of metro's upcoming Botanical Garden-Janakpuri West (Magenta) Line, was granted safety approval by the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) last month.
Metro's new generation trains, which can run without drivers, will operate on this section where an advanced Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology that will facilitate movement of trains with a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds will also be pressed into service.
However, for an initial period of two-three years the trains will have drivers.
Currently, those travelling to south Delhi have to change have to change trains at Mandi House Metro Station.
After the new section is opened, commuters will be able to travel directly to Kalkaji Mandir Metro Station, which is on the Violet Line, cutting travel time by about 45 minutes.
Once the entire corridor from Botanical Garden till Janakpuri West (38.23 km) is operational, commuters from Noida will be able to go to Gurgaon by changing trains at Hauz Khas.
The Botanical Garden station has been developed as Delhi Metro's first-ever inter-change station outside the boundaries of Delhi.
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