NOIDA: Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) SK Pathak inspected the Noida City Centre-Noida Electronic City section of Delhi Metro’s Blue Line on Monday, paving the way for its launch later this month.
Once operational, the 6.8 km-long metro corridor with six stations will reduce travel time for people commuting from Delhi to Noida’s Sector 62. It will also improve connectivity between Noida and Greater Noida through the Noida Metro’s Aqua line.
“After the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety — working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Government of India — is satisfied with the safety norms, he will give sanction for passenger movement on the line,” said Anuj Dayal, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, DMRC. “After we get the sanction, the date for inauguration will be fixed and the Metro line will be launched.”
Initial test runs began on December 28 last year. During the trials, officials checked that there was no physical blockage during the movement of the train. The entire signaling system also underwent rigorous testing. Also, the response of the train at different speeds, braking, and the interconnection with the operations control centre was also monitored. The track system and the Over Head Electrification were checked repeatedly.
DMRC officials said construction was a major challenge as the corridor’s alignment is close to the National Highway-24. The entire corridor passes through busy and congested residential as well as commercial areas of Noida. Besides the people working at Noida’s Sector 62, commuters traveling to and fro from Greater Noida will also benefit after the opening of this section. The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) has started construction of a two-meter wide walkway for pedestrians and a five-metre wide pathway for e-rickshaws to ferry passengers between Aqua and Blue Lines. Coming up between Sector 51 Metro station of Aqua Line and Sector 52 Metro station of Blue Line, the walkways are likely to be constructed by the end of March.
As the Aqua Line is yet to achieve its projected target of passengers, officials hope that the ridership will go up once the line is connected with the Blue Line.