Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated a section of the Delhi Metro’s Magenta line in Noida on Monday and took a ride in the new train at around 1p.m. Mr. Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and UP Governor Ram Naik among others.
Amid heavy security, they travelled from Botanical Garden to Okhla. The PM then arrived at Amity University to address the public, where he appealed to the people to give up private transport and use public transport to help the environment.
The Metro was ready for public use from 5 p.m. Many residents spoke of how the Magenta Line will solve a lot of their problems. “It was so difficult going all the way to Mandi House and then boarding Violet Line to reach south Delhi. The new route will ease our commuting woes.” said Akash, who works with a multi-national company in Noida.
“I am very relieved that travel time to my office and home will be reduced with the new train. It was long overdue that connectivity to Noida from south Delhi became convenient,” said Sumit Garg, a businessman.
The 12.64-km-long Magenta Line presently connects Botanical Garden to Kalkaji Mandir and will be extended till Janakpuri by March next year. The current stretch accounts for a travel time of 19 minutes, facilitating easy commute from south Delhi to Noida, and vice versa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after launching the Botanical Garden-Kalkaji Mandir section of the Magenta Line, in New Delhi on Monday.
The Magenta Line has automated platform screen doors at every station, set to open only when trains arrive at the platform. The coaches will reportedly have LED display, power charging capacity and colourful seats, while the stations will portray themes including nature, yoga, and cultural landmarks. Further, driverless trains are to be introduced along with the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology, which facilitate the movement of trains within a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.
Equipment under the seats of the Magenta Line trains can be used to make space for an additional 12 passengers in every coach. The new trains will also offer lumbar support and backrests near the wheelchair areas so that even if a commuter is standing, they can do so comfortably.
While most Metro trains have power outlets, the new trains that are expected to run on Magenta Line will also feature USB ports to connect phone charging cables directly without a power adapter.
