Come Thursday and commuters can expect major decongestion at the Rajiv Chowk metro station in the Capital because it will be possible for commuters on the Blue Line (Dwarka-Noida-Viashali) to switch on to the Violet Line (Central Secretariat-Badarpur) at the Mandi House station itself.
Currently commuters have to change trains twice (at Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat) to reach the Violet Line and vice-versa.
After a delay of around three months, commercial operation on the first section (Central Secretariat – Mandi House) of phase III of Delhi Metro is set to start from Thursday. Delhi Metro officials said the Central Secretariat – Mandi House section would start operation as it has received the mandatory safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety.
“Union Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu will flag off the train from the Mandi House station on Thursday morning,” a Delhi Metro spokesperson said.
This entirely underground corridor is three kilometre long and consists of two stations – Janpath and Mandi House. Mandi House station will provide interchange facility with the Blue Line.
At present, the Mandi House station caters to an average of 12,500 commuters daily. Once the interchange facility becomes operational, the number is expected to increase manifold.
The station is expected to off load around a lakh of commuters from the Rajiv Chowk metro station, which currently has a footfall of around 5 lakh commuters daily.
The Delhi Metro had completed the civil construction between Central Secretariat and Mandi House — part of the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor of phase III – few months ago.
However, the commercial operation could not be started as the mandatory safety clearance from the CMRS took some time.
