Delhi Metro Phase 3 to encircle city, to be longest at 55.9km

NEW DELHI: The alignment of phase III of the Delhi Metro will see the Metro take an entire circle around the city, much like the surface Ring Road in Delhi. According to senior Delhi government sources, the alignment of the 105km phase III network is ready, with suggestions given by the government having been incorporated. “The inprinciple approval has already been given. We’ve been informed that the alignment is ready, and that the Delhi Metro is now deciding on the stations and their locations in the areas the Metro would pass through.”

Sources in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ( DMRC) confirmed that the redesigned alignment had been decided, with the Yamuna Vihar-Mukundpur corridor being the longest one. In fact, when completed, this corridor will be the longest line in the entire Delhi Metro network , covering 55.9km. The Yamuna Vihar-Mukundpur corridor will have major stations at Mukundpur, Rajouri Garden — which will also be an interchange station — Dhaula Kuan, Anand Vihar — yet another interchange station — culminating in Yamuna Vihar. Said an official, “This corridor is like a ring around the city, much like the inner Ring Road. Correspondingly , the Kalindi Kunj-Janakpuri (west) corridor will be paralleling the outer Ring Road.”

The Kalindi Kunj-Janakpuri (west) corridor in fact, is the only other line that will be entirely separate from the existing network. The other two corridors that are being planned for phase III – within Delhi – are extensions of line 2 (Jehangirpuri-HUDA city centre) and line 6 (Central Secretariat-Badarpur ). While the former will be extended till Badli, the latter will be extended through ITO-Delhi Gate and on to Kashmere Gate. The network, with 23 interchanging stations, is expected to start off from April this year. “It will be a mix of elevated-underground stretches, with the extension of the line 6 (Central Secretariat-Badarpur ) being mostly underground,” added the source. All the corridors will be on standard gauge.

Funding, however, remains a knotty affair. Sources in the government confirmed that funding has not been decided yet, though DMRC will be hoping that the majority of the funding comes from the state and Central government . The cost of the network in Delhi is Rs 28,000 crore. Said a senior government official , “A number of infrastructure projects are to be undertaken by the state government too. So we have to allocate the funding in such a way that funds for our projects are also available.” According to sources, the last large infusion of funds to the state government from the Centre had been for the Commonwealth Games. “But thereafter, funding has been limited. Even last year, we got little from the Central government . So parity in funding for the Metro as well as our projects is needed,” added the official.