Ghaziabad Metro Expansion: DMRC Presents Third Plan For Connecting Noida Sector-62 To Vaishali Metro Station

A new plan has been submitted to extend the Delhi Metro line to Ghaziabad city.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has submitted a 5.83 km tentative plan to connect Noida’s Sector-62 Metro station to Vaishali Metro station in Ghaziabad, as per a Hindustan Times report.

This is the third plan submitted by DMRC to connect the two stations.

According to Manvendra Singh, officiating chief engineer of the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), the proposed plan would pass through Indirapuram before reaching Vaishali station.

“The two previous plans have not been dropped as such. We will now study the new plan to find out whether it is feasible. Land is required for construction and, later, the funding pattern will be decided,” he added.  

The officials estimate that the new plan would require a budget of Rs 1,300- Rs 1,400 crore once a detailed project report is completed.

The proposed 5.83 km metro line will pass through areas near CISF, DPS Indirapuram, Ramlila Ground, Niti Khand, Gyan Khand, and Ramprastha before reaching Vaishali Metro station.

As per the new plan, four stations may be developed near Vaibhav Khand, DPS, Niti Khand, and Gyan Khand.

Earlier in January 2020, a proposal was put forward by the DMRC to connect Noida's Sector-62 and Sahibabad at an estimated cost of Rs 1,517 crore. Additionally, a second line to connect Vaishali with Mohan Nagar at a cost of Rs 1,808.22 crore was also submitted.

However, state funding requested by the GDA was refused by the state government earlier this year in January. In May, the state again denied 50 per cent funding for the two extensions.

This new plan has been visualised as the under-construction Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) has been proposed to link New Bus Adda to Sahibabad and further on to Anand Vihar in Delhi.

According to GDA official, “The earlier two plans were proposed when the option of RRTS was not there. So, a new route has been proposed since the RRTS is about to start operations.”

“We are of the view that city commuters who wish to travel to Sahibabad and Anand Vihar may make use of RapidX trains on the RRTS line. The new tentative plan submitted recently would involve the acquisition of private land in patches. So, the authority is assessing the new plan and may give it the go ahead once the other modalities are cleared,” the official added.