To reduce traffic, cut pollution and improve public transport in Delhi, the Delhi government on Sunday said it has released its share of funds – Rs 3,386.18 crore – for the remaining three corridors of Phase IV of the Delhi Metro project, according to an official release.
Details of the all three corridors
Golden Line – Lajpat Nagar to Saket
The first corridor is an extension of the Golden Line, running from Lajpat Nagar to Saket G-Block in South Delhi. It will be 8.385 km long, fully elevated, and will have eight stations.
Green Line – Inderlok in Northwest Delhi to Indraprastha
The second corridor, an extension of the Green Line, will run from Inderlok in Northwest Delhi to Indraprastha. This 12.377-km stretch will have 10 stations – one elevated and nine underground – the Chief Minister’s Office said.
Red Line – Rithala in Northwest Delhi to Kundli
The third corridor is the longest. It will connect Rithala in Northwest Delhi to Kundli in Haryana. This 26.463-km Red Line extension will have 21 stations and is expected to greatly improve connectivity to Rohini, Bawana, Narela and nearby industrial and residential areas along Delhi’s northern border.
Together, the three corridors span nearly 47 km and will cost Rs 14,630.80 crore. They are expected to be completed in four years. The government added that smoother and more reliable Metro operations will also help reduce pollution.
Areas to be covered by the new corridors
Officials said the Lajpat Nagar–Saket stretch will pass through Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash-I, Chirag Delhi, Pushp Bhawan and the Saket District Centre. The Inderlok–Indraprastha line will connect Dayabasti, Sarai Rohilla, Jhandewalan, Nabi Karim, New Delhi Railway Station, Delhi Gate and the Delhi Secretariat–IG Stadium area.
At present, Delhi and the NCR have a Metro network of 395 km with about 40 lakh daily passengers. Under Phase IV, the network is being expanded by another 110 km, and by 96 km under Phases V-A and V-B. Once Phase IV is completed, daily ridership is expected to double.
The government also said that tendering for the new corridors is in progress, and initial groundwork has begun in some places.
Financial breakdown of the projects
The Inderlok–Indraprastha and Lajpat Nagar–Saket G-Block corridors have been combined under one financial plan with a total project cost of Rs 8,399.81 crore. The Delhi government’s share in this will be Rs 1,987.86 crore, s per the release.
For the Rithala–Kundli corridor, the total cost is estimated at Rs 6,230.99 crore, of which Delhi will pay Rs 1,398.32 crore. Out of the total cost, Rs 5,685.22 crore will be spent within Delhi and Rs 545.77 crore in Haryana, the release mentioned.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Metro expansion will help ease traffic and reduce pollution, making Delhi more modern. She had earlier said the government is planning multiple measures over the next four years to bring down air pollution, including boosting public transport.