DMRC turns 11 years old, puts phase-3 Metro work on fast track

The Delhi Metro is fast-tracking the construction work under its phase 3 expansion project that will benefit lakhs of commuters using the network daily, said Managing Director Mangu Singh on Monday on completion of 11 years of metro rail’s operation in the capital.

One such example is the work on Central Secretariat – Mandi House section, that has been advanced by about six months and will be open for public by March 2014. The trial runs will begin from Monday.

“The work has been fast-tracked on this stretch as it will help in decongesting the busy Rajiv Chowk Metro station,” Singh said.

The commuters of the Badarpur - Central Secretariat line bound for Noida and Vaishali will be able to change trains at Mandi House without changing trains twice at Central Secretariat and Rajiv Chowk.

Even the extension process of the functional corridors under phase 3 have been expedited. According to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the construction work of the 11.181 kilometre long stretch between Mundka and Bahadurgarh has also been going on fast pace. The line is an extension of Inderlok – Mundka Line.

“The corridor will be entirely elevated with seven stations — four in Delhi and three in Haryana,” a spokesperson said.

The year 2013 has been full of ups and downs for the metro. The DMRC and the Delhi Technological University signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 19 for jointly taking up projects in the fields of design development, research and indigenisation of technology.

India’s 11th president, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam visited the Delhi Metro system on 25 March. During his first ever visit to the Metro, Kalam boarded the Metro at the Central Secretariat Metro station and travelled up to Rajiv Chowk, where he saw the interchange arrangements for the Jahangirpuri – HUDA City Centre (Yellow Line) and the Dwarka Sector 21 – Noida City Centre (Blue Line) corridors. 

On June 11, thousands of metro commuters had a harrowing time reaching their destinations as a train on the busy Jahangirpuri-Huda City Centre line broke down and was stuck for nearly two hours in the underground passage.

On 24 December 2002, the first line, between Shahdara and Tis Hazari, was inaugurated.
DH News Service