Mujesar-ballabgarh Metro corridor opens

FARIDABAD: After a delay of more than a year, the Delhi Metro on Monday evening opened the Escorts Mujesar-ballabgarh corridor in Faridabad for public use.

The 3.2-km-long elevated corridor, an extension of the operational Violet Line, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing at the Raja Nahar Singh station in Ballabgarh.

The corridor, which is an extension of the Kashemre GateEscorts Mujesar line, has two stations – Sant Surdas (Sihi) and Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabgarh) . According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the line is significant as it provides connectivity for the people of Ballabgarh, Faridabad, southeast Delhi and central Delhi.

The project had, however, missed its March 2017 deadline as construction work had come to a standstill over issues related to acquisition of land.

Though approval of this line had been granted by the previous Congress government, the BJP government sanctioned more funds for the project after it assumed power in the state.

The Haryana cabinet had two years ago approved the proposal for extension of Metro from YMCA Chowk to Ballabgarh with the contribution of ₹569.80 crore by the state government, instead of its previous commitment of ₹468.20 crore.

“The Violet Line is now 46.6-kilometres long after this line opened. Besides, the entire Delhi Metro network is 317.06 kilometers now,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communications, DMRC. It was on September 6, 2015, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had travelled by Metro up to Faridabad to i naugurate the 13.87-km-long Badarpur-escorts Mujesar line.

“The total length of Metro now in Haryana is 29 kilometres. In Uttar Pradesh, we have 13.53 kms Metro line so far. Also, all trains running on this new section are manufactured in India,” Dayal said.

A peak hour frequency of six minutes and 48 seconds will be maintained on this section between Badarpur and Raja Nahar Singh on weekdays,” the DMRC said in a statement.