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Delhi Metro rushing to beat the deadlines

NEW DELHI: It takes more than just concern for the environment and the increasing fuel prices to prompt the quintessential Delhiite to leave his car behind. So when the Delhi metro railway threw in air-conditioned comfort, speedy journey and unpolluted ambience, the reasons for leaving the car behind were good and many.

Since its commencement in December 2002, the Delhi metro has become a preferred choice and a much-awaited facility. As the city rushes to meet the deadlines for its various undertakings linked to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the one organisation that is fighting not just to meet, but to beat the deadlines is Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Having added 11.47 km in this past 12 months, the DMRC is rushing to add another 115 by the time the city hosts the Games.

With 74.5 km already being covered along the three existing lines that run from Shahdara-Rithala, Central Secretariat-Jehangirpuri and Dwarka-Indraprastha, the metro is all set to change the way the city travels.

“By September 2010 the metro will have covered another 115.18 km and the number of passengers will have far surpassed the current 8.50 lakh a day to reach two million,” says DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.

To keep up its tradition of not missing deadlines, the DMRC says it is doing all that is required to finish ongoing projects much ahead of the Games in October 2010.

“It is the first metro system where 14 tunnel boring machines are being used. We flew in coaches from Germany because we did not want to waste time in their transportation. The coaches too are being modified to meet international standards and we will have 48 standard gauge trains running on some segments of Phase II,” he points out.

In the coming year, the contemporary mode of transport -- the metro -- can be tracked to as far as the Delhi airport; the Badarpur border, the last post before Faridabad in Haryana; and Noida in Uttar Pradesh next door to Delhi.

With the opening of the Yamuna Bank station in May, the metro will literally cross the bridge. Traversing over the city’s lifeline, the Yamuna, the metro will come closer to East, which stands separated from the city by a river.

This additional 2.1 km distance from Indrapastha is being hailed as a big leap by the metro to connect the city. From the Yamuna Bank the metro will diverge to Anand Vihar and Noida.

Part of the mass rapid transit system Phase II project, this section is scheduled to be complete by October 2009. Covering a distance of 15.07 km with 11 stations, this line is completely elevated. “The Noida extension alone (Delhi border to Noida City Centre) is expected to add almost 53,000 more people into the metro system by 2011. Noida authorities plan to integrate the Delhi metro with the proposed light rail transit system in Noida,” said Mr. Dayal.

At a recent meeting, between the UP authorities and DMRC, a decision to expand it to Greater Noida was also reached. Spelling relief for the hundred thousand who have invested in property in the far flung township.

Scheduled to be completed by December 2009, this 6.17 km stretch with five stations pegs the daily projected traffic for 2011 at over 1.3 lakh people per day. The longest spans of Phase-II of 70 metres consecutively over the Karkardooma flyover on the busy Vikas Marg in East Delhi are part of this stretch.

“The Anand Vihar metro station will be unique as it will integrate the three transport system--the Delhi metro, Indian Railways and inter-State bus terminus. The Yamuna Bank station is an important interchange station as the Anand Vihar ISBT corridor and the Noida corridor diverge from this point,” said Mr. Dayal.

The much awaited and much debated stretch that ran into rough weather with multiple authorities has finally got on track and is expected to ferry over 42,000 passengers everyday by 2010. With an October 2010 completion date, this stretch will allow baggage check in facility at New Delhi railway station and Shivaji Stadium with state-of-art stations to accommodate passengers with bags and luggage.

With trains travelling at a high speed of 135 km per hour, the journey is expected to last 18 minutes to Indira Gandhi International Airport, 24 minutes to Dwarka Sector 21.

A seven-storey parking will be developed and the first two storeys are likely to be used as check-in areas (passenger facilitation) and concourse. The parking lot is integrated with the metro station.

The section with 15 stations will have the metro cover 20.16 km from Central secretariat to Badarpur border passing through Khan Market, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jangpura, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, East of Kailash, Nehru Place, Jasola, Sarita Vihar to reach Tuglakabad.

Partly elevated and partly underground, this section saw residents living near the elevated section protest and seek judicial intervention. After a much prolonged tussle, work on the section is finally resumed and the DMRC is hopeful of meeting the September 2010 deadline.

The CTST-Qutub Minar (12.53 km) and Qutub Minar-Gurgaon (14. 47 km) stretch is expected to scheduled to be complete by June 2010. A Rs.3,720 crore project, this stretch will pass through the high security Race Course to reach the premier All-India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The Gurgaon section, which is fully elevated, will have five stations with each station 1.5 km apart.

In the far West, the metro will travel from Inderlok to Mundka, brining closer the extreme corners of the city. To be operational by March 2010, 16 stations will cover 18.5 km.

Fifteen elevated stations at Ashok Park Main, Punjabi Bagh East, Shivaji Park, Madipur, Paschim Vihar East, Paschim Vihar West, Peera Garhi, Udyog Nagar, Surajmal Stadium, Nangloi, and Mundka among others will have side platforms except Inderlok (New Inderlok) Metro station, which will have an island platform.

This corridor will be connecting to both Line-1 and Line-3 and trains on this line will run on standard gauge.

And as it connects one end of the city to another, rushes out from congested parts to the far flung suburbs, the metro has managed to bring down pollution and reduce congestion on the roads.

Assessments by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) indicate that the metro by the end of 2007 was able to take 51,330 vehicles off the road per day. The reduced consumption of petrol, diesel and other fuels was 57,858 tonnes.

“The CRRI report claimed that people in the city save 66 minutes every day on an average by travelling by the metro, which in turn resulted in a saving of Rs.725 crore,” pointed out Mr. Dayal.

To ensure the organisation does it bit for the environment and in reducing the carbon footprint, the DMRC has been conducting large-scale tree plantation drives, water harvesting at metro stations, energy conservation drives and recently proposed the use of solar energy.

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