Flag-off today for Metro to Noida

NEW DELHI: Residents of Noida have reason to cheer. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has certified Delhi Metro���s Noida line as fit for use by commuters. The line will be opened for public use at 6 am on Friday. On Thursday, there will be a ceremonial flag-off by union urban development minister Jaipal Reddy and Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit at Akshardham Metro station. This will be followed by another inaugural function at Noida City Center Sector 32 station to be attended by UP chief minister Mayawati.

After the Zamrudpur mishap, cracks had been detected in some pillars on the Noida line and DMRC took time to repair them. Also, there was a shortage of trains. This pushed the deadline for opening this stretch from August-end to November.

A CMRS team inspected the new line on Tuesday and Wednesday before finally giving the green signal. ������ CMRS RK Kardam inspected the Yamuna Bank to Noida section of the Delhi Metro on November 10 and 11 and has certified the section as fit for public carriage of passengers. The line will be opened for public from November 13,������ said a DMRC spokesperson.

The inspection team reportedly moved around on the line in trolleys with technical experts who minutely checked each and every aspect of the line, including the tracks, gradient of the viaduct, crossovers created between the two lines. On Wednesday, they returned to check the stations for passenger amenities. Parameters like disabled-friendly measures, ticketing and customer care centres , training of station staff, control rooms and even lifts and escalators were checked.

The 12.8-km long elevated line, which will largely run over the central verge, is expected to ferry an estimated 53,000 commuters daily by 2011. The metro will have six stops in Noida ��� at Sector 15, Sector 16, Sector 18, Botanical Garden , Golf Course and Sector 32 City Centre and four in Delhi ��� Akshardham, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Mayur Vihar Extention and New Ashok Nagar.

The stations, which are all on road, will be aesthetically more pleasing. DMRC is planning to design the exteriors in a manner that they blend with the surroundings . For instance, the exterior of the Sector 18 station will have a mall-like look to make it look like the other buildings around. All the stations will double up as foot overbridges for nonmetro users too. The metro line passes through four traffic heavy crossings ��� IOC crossing in Sector 14, Rajnigandha crossing in Sector 19, Atta crossing in Sector 18 and Golf Course in Sector 37.