In a first, the Metro will be giving commuters direct access to an underground platform instead of first descending to the concourse of a metro station.
The upcoming INA station, which will be a major inter-change point in South Delhi, is going to have this unique feature.
In another first, the new station is being built over the existing metro tunnel that connects INA with AIIMS.
A part of the Pink Line (Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar) of Delhi Metro's Phase-III project, the INA station will intersect with the Yellow Line (Huda City Centre-Samaypur Badli) at 90 degrees.
For commuters boarding the Pink Line at this station, getting into a train will take seconds as the escalators and lift from the ground level will directly lead to the platform.
Ticketing facility will be available at the entry/exit gates on the ground level.
New design
Those wanting to change trains will have to use the concourse below the new platform, which is being built at a depth of only seven metres from the ground.
Once operational, the station will have a total of seven entry/exit points.
Three such points are being built with the new station wherein two will be on the West side of Aurobindo Marg, out of which one is just adjacent to the ‘Dilli Haat’ and the other will cater to the residents of Laxmi Bai Nagar (West).
The third entry/exit will be towards the East side of Aurobindo Marg catering to Kidwai Nagar (East) and the GPO complex.
“We attempted this major design change because there was a sizeable height variation between the existing INA station and the upcoming new station there. So, there are going to be three levels in this underground inter-change station – first, the platform for Pink Line; second, the concourse; third, the platform for Yellow Line,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director (Corporate Communications), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR), the interchange load of this station will be 1, 29, 881 on a daily basis. The current daily footfall at INA station is around 40,000.
Mr Dayal added that it is for the first time that a station is being built over the existing tunnel connecting the operational INA and the AIIMS Metro stations of the Yellow Line.
“This is, probably, for the first time in India that a cut and cover construction is being done over the existing operational tunnel. If you see the layout of the two metro corridors then they form a 'plus' sign. So, there is one point where trains of both the lines and the concourse will simultaneously operate on top of each other,” he said.
Better connectivity
With the opening of this new station, connectivity of the residents from North, West and East Delhi areas like Mukundpur, Rajouri Garden, Mayur Vihar and so on will be eased as people from there will be able to come to shopping hubs like Sarojini Nagar, INA Market and Dilli Haat directly.
Students travelling between North and South campuses of the University of Delhi (DU) will also be able to commute by the Metro by using INA as an inter-change station.
Residential areas like Sarojini Nagar and Laxmi Bai Nagar will also be benefited as this station will provide connectivity to all parts of Delhi (towards Vishwavidyalaya – Jahangirpuri in North, towards Hauz Khas – Qutab Minar – Gurgaon in South, towards Rajouri Garden – Mayapuri in West and towards Mayur Vihar – Anand Vihar in East).
Nearly 85 per cent of the civil work is completed on the 58.59-kilometre-long Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar line, which is slated for completion in December.
