Delhi metro's aqua line has no answer to commuters’ problems
NEW DELHI: Noida Metro Rail Corporation’s (NMRC) Aqua Line which starts midway without any direct connection with the last station of Delhi Metro’s Blue Line in Noida is still waiting to experience seamless connectivity.
People living ahead of Noida City Centre and Noida Electronic City, the last stations of the Delhi metro are facing difficulties even though a walkway has been built between the two lines.
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The 300 metres long walkway which has come up between sector 52 station of the Delhi metro and Sector 51 station which falls on the Aqualine, has failed to address the connectivity issue faced by locals and commuters.
“We had been waiting for the Aqua Line to open for a long but now it seems useless. It passes through our main road but to commute from Delhi metro to Aqua Line is a problem. I’d rather get down at the Noida City Centre metro and take an auto to reach my place in Sector 78,” said a resident of Mahagun Moderne.
Speaking to The Morning Standard, a spokesperson of the NMRC said that solving the connectivity problem was the prime concern of the authority and a tentative plan to make a foot overbridge (FOB) between the two metro lines was in the offing.
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“The walkway was built for seamless connectivity and also E-rickshaw service has been started to play between the space. In future, an FOB or a skywalk is being planned between the two but the land on which the FOB is planned belongs to the Noida Authority,” said the spokesperson.
From the Magenta Line, the nearest station on Aqua Line is Sector 142 which is 12 kms away. The auto ride to cover the gap between the two is 20-25 minutes.
At present, the Noida Authority has put forward the notice for auction for bidding to take place. “Once the bid is completed, the FOB would be part of that construction design and it will solve the problem.
There would be an internal corridor connecting the two metro line which will bring down the distance,” the spokesperson added.
The Aqua Line came up as one of the biggest infrastructural projects between Noida and Greater Noida spanning a length of 29.7 kms.